Chodov in Sokolov opened a new library for 50 million crowns

Chodov – A new municipal library opened today in Chodov in the Sokolov region. The city built a new building for it on the site of the former kindergarten and later dumpling production factory for 50 million crowns. However, construction was complicated by a sharp increase in the prices of construction materials and energy. As a result, the costs increased by four million crowns and the completion was delayed by almost a year, said Chodov's mayor Patrik Pizinger (Local) to journalists today.

"We started the project during COVID, so it was very difficult to even begin construction. After we overcame that period, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began, which led to a lack of workers and materials, and prices soared. The contractor was faced with the choice of either stopping the construction and terminating the contract or we had to find a way to complete the construction," said the mayor.

The city had an assessment conducted to determine whether the price increases actually corresponded to market price changes, which the analysis confirmed. Thus, the city reached an agreement with the current contractor to increase the price by four million crowns. Additionally, the city received a grant for the reconstruction of brownfields covering 50 percent of eligible costs for the conversion of the former dumpling factory into a library.

The new library has sections for children and adults, replacing the previous three service counters with one central one. Self-service borrowing has been expanded. The library collection consists of approximately 40,000 volumes. In the basement of the building, there is also a community hall and a café. The library management now wants to focus more on educational and other events for the public. According to the library director Hana Nemčičová, there is great interest in these in Chodov.

The town hall has further plans for the library building located in the city center. It is preparing a project for a green roof and for the installation of a photovoltaic power plant to utilize renewable resources. It also aims to improve the surrounding area, with plans to create a garden that could be used by readers and other visitors.