ČVUT wants to build a university campus in Kladno for half a billion

Kladno - Czech Technical University aims to transform the Kladno barracks into a university campus over the next few years, with an investment of 500 million crowns. The long-planned reconstruction of the Lidice barracks, which the university is preparing with the city, will begin this year with the renovation of the main building for 80 million crowns. The university intends to use the building starting next year for programs like emergency services or physiotherapy. This was stated today by Jozef Rosina, the dean of the Kladno Faculty of Biomedical Engineering. Representatives from the university, the Ministry of Education, and the city signed a memorandum of cooperation today concerning the barrack's reconstruction during a council meeting.
    The Kladno Faculty of Czech Technical University is located in the Kokos building, which, according to Rosina, has a capacity of 1,700 students, a number that will soon be insufficient. "This year I will exceed this number. Therefore, it is necessary to look for new possibilities if I do not want to limit the faculty's growth," Rosina stated. According to him, 1,100 new students are applying to the school this year, and the university plans to have around 3,000 students in the largest city of Central Bohemia in the coming years.
    The university first wants to renovate the largest building, which previously served as a dormitory for soldiers. According to the dean, part of the bachelor's programs will relocate there next year, with healthcare workers or physiotherapists studying there. In the subsequent phases of repairs, the school plans to build large-capacity lecture halls or completely new student dormitories on the grounds for about half a billion crowns. The project has been prepared by architecture students, and the university wants to finance the construction through grants.
    Discussions about the renovation of the Kladno barracks have been ongoing for several years. The city originally anticipated that a university for dentists could be established there. According to Deputy Mayor Miroslav Bernášek (ODS), this was ultimately dropped due to a lack of funding. "The barracks will remain the property of the city, but the partner for utilization will be the Czech Technical University," Bernášek stated. Since 2009, a municipal dental emergency practice has operated on the barracks' grounds, and the barracks also serve as a parking area during larger sporting events held in the vicinity.