The demolition of the panel shopping center Slezanka in the center of Opava will begin in the summer

Opava – The demolition of the unsightly panel shopping center Slezanka in the historic center of Opava is expected to begin in the summer. The city is currently looking for an organization to prepare the demolition project. Subsequently, it will seek a company to carry out the demolition. This was stated to journalists today by the mayor of the city, Tomáš Navrátil.

The shopping center is to be replaced by several residential buildings and a hall with an outdoor amphitheater. The future of Slezanka, part of which was purchased by the city from a private owner in 2008 for 270 million crowns, has been a topic in Opava for the last several electoral periods. For a long time, it has been unsuccessful to lease or sell the spaces. Attempts to convert the building have not been successful either.

The city already announced a competition for the preparation of the project documentation for the demolition once. However, it eventually canceled the contract and will announce a new one. It wants to approach the Vysoká škola báňská – Technická univerzita Ostrava, which indicated that it has sufficient capacity to prepare the project documentation. "From the signing of the contract, the project should be completed within four months. Then we will look for a company to carry out the demolition. The work should start in July or August," the mayor stated.

The demolition was approved by the councilors in September. They considered several options, including reconstruction. However, they concluded that the conversion would be uneconomical. The city wants to allow several residential buildings to be built on the site of the shopping center, inspired by the pre-war residential construction in Horní náměstí. The area of the current theater club will feature a small square with access to a new multifunctional hall, which Opava lacks. The residential buildings will be built by private investors, while the city will construct the hall. Additionally, there are plans for a two-story underground parking garage under the new development.

The future of Slezanka has been a topic in Opava for the last several electoral periods. The former city leadership commissioned a study. According to it, the building should have multifunctional use, both commercial and recreational. The current city leadership has included Slezanka among its strategic projects and a project team has been formed. Independently, it dealt with both the use of the Slezanka building by the city, as well as its sale or rental.

According to the owners, Slezanka has three parts. One part belongs to the city and should be demolished. The second part is co-owned by the city, and negotiations are currently ongoing with other owners regarding its sale. If successful, this part would also be demolished. The third part belongs to private owners, and the city is negotiating with them as well.

The Slezanka shopping center is a panel building built on the site where ancient brewhouse houses stood in the 17th century. The block resembles a residential area and is adjacent to a Gothic church. The building has long been a problem for the municipality. The previous city leadership purchased the building located in the central Horní náměstí from a private owner in 2008. At that time, representatives of the city expressed a willingness to invest in the repair or demolition of the building and the construction of a new center. The city took out a loan of 270 million crowns to pay the purchase price.

The department store was almost empty for a long time, and it wasn't until 2012 that a interested party was found to operate it. However, it has been difficult to lease the spaces long-term. The city eventually agreed to sell it to a development company. A new shopping center was to be built there. The previous city leadership signed a contract with the developer in 2015 to build it.

However, preparations dragged on, and ultimately, opinions prevailed that the shopping center should not be built. The change was also influenced by the construction of the nearby Breda & Weinstein shopping center. On an area of over 25,000 m², it offers spaces for more than 100 shops, a multiplex cinema with six halls, restaurants, and a café. After negotiations, the developer withdrew from the plan. Since then, the city hall has been dealing with what to do next with Slezanka.