Czech Lípa is considering the purchase of the burned Kounic House

Česká Lípa - Česká Lípa is considering the purchase of the burned-down Kounic House. Two and a half years after the fire, the monument-protected house is deteriorating and there is a risk that another winter will be fatal for it. The mayor of Česká Lípa, Romana Žatecká, said this to ČTK today. The bourgeois house from the 18th century belongs to the Association of Sports Associations of the Czech Republic, which only carried out necessary remediation after the fire but has no plans for the renovation of the building. The building authority has already imposed one fine on the association, and according to Žatecká, a higher one is planned.

"To fine and pay fines does not mean that the condition of the building is changing. The owner is doing nothing with the property and relies on the fact that the city will buy it," Žatecká said. According to her, the owner has not made any effort in two and a half years to do anything to save the house. "It is open, it has no roof, every year the structural engineers state that we cannot play with the fact that the space is open, that it rains and snows into it, and it affects the internal structures. I am convinced that this winter will be crucial, so it is high time to agree on what to do with it," Žatecká added.

The former bourgeois house, also known as Kounic House, was completed in 1771 by the then owners of the estate, the Kounic Counts. It was built on the site where a feudal brewery was destroyed during city fires in 1611 and 1698. The house was constructed as a new residence for the estate officials. In subsequent years, it served as a salt warehouse, military hospital, customs office, Czech gymnasium, and in the second half of the 20th century for Svazarm. The current owner rented the premises to several smaller entities; the Association of Sports Associations of the Czech Republic did not have its headquarters there.

Kounic House stands near the Lipý Water Castle and has been under the protection of preservationists since 1958. In May 2015, the house burned down, and the extensive fire destroyed the roof and the second floor, causing damages of eight million crowns. According to Žatecká, no one can estimate how much the rescue of the monument will cost. The Association of Sports Associations of the Czech Republic offered the property to the city for 6.9 million crowns; based on an expert opinion, the price was lowered to 4.9 million crowns. The potential purchase must be approved by the councilors. "But it is important that we know what our intention is with the property, how to use it, what it will serve," the mayor added.