The dilapidated building of Bredy in Opava will no longer be accessible to the public

Opava - The long-neglected and unused building of the former department store Breda, which was purchased by the Opava city hall this year, will no longer be accessible to the public. There will be no Christmas tree placed inside, as was the case last year. The reason for such restriction is the emergency construction work, which aims to ensure that the protected building from 1928 does not continue to deteriorate. CTK was informed today by the spokesperson of the Opava city hall, Roman Konečný.

Last year, people were able to enter the building during Christmas. Even this year, interested parties gathered there to collectively seek further uses for the former shopping center. However, these activities have now ended in connection with the construction. "It is now a construction site. So it would be dangerous to allow the public into the building," Konečný stated. He added that in recent months, part of the roof has been repaired, funded by a public collection.

"Now, preparations are underway for the repair of another part of the roof. All windows will also be replaced. This will be followed by façade repairs," the spokesperson said. He added that the competition for the company that will carry out these repairs has yet to be announced. Costs will amount to tens of millions of crowns.

During last year's Christmas, the Breda building was festively illuminated. Lights will appear on its façade again this year. However, due to high energy prices, it will be lit in a limited mode. "The festive lighting is planned for November 26 at 6:00 PM. Afterwards, the building will be lit only on each Advent Sunday from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM," Konečný said.

According to him, the city hall leadership has not yet precisely figured out how the building will be further utilized. However, it is supposed to be a combination of commercial and non-commercial use. Details are being worked on by a special team. There has been talk of hosting an exhibition of African culture or a gallery with works by sculptor Kurt Gebauer. Part of the building should be used commercially, perhaps for offices or retail spaces. A market could also be established here.

The cultural monument, which belonged to the bankrupt company of entrepreneur Kamil Kolka, was acquired by the city for 39.5 million crowns. The total costs for the reconstruction are expected to be around 300 million crowns. The annual operating cost of the building, which has 10,000 square meters, is projected to be about 17.7 million crowns. On the other hand, the city is expected to gain 15.8 million crowns from rental income and from fees for provided services. The difference would be made up by the city subsidy for the operation of the building.

At the time of its opening in 1928, it was the largest department store in the republic.