Dozens of people in Troja protested against the plan to build an eco-center

Prague - Nearly a hundred people protested today between Na Pazderce road and the grounds of the Botanical Garden of the capital city of Prague against plans to build an eco-center with an observation tower in these locations. The area is also set to include a clubhouse with a restaurant and a private parking lot for visitors. Local citizens and civic associations are protesting against the construction, which is also opposed by the local municipality. The investor of the eco-center is United Architect Studio.

“Beneath the purposefully prepared project called Educational and Exploratory Activities - Troja lies, in reality, a private investor's plan for massive construction of a private parking lot for 29 vehicles, a thirty-one-meter observation tower, and a clubhouse building with a restaurant, which would require the felling of 2333 square meters of mature forest between the Botanical Garden and the Bohnice housing estate,” stated the initiative Proti-plotu.cz.

“We oppose the construction of a commercial building instead of a forest. We are pleased that, thanks to 680 submitted expressions of disagreement to the Ministry of the Environment in two days and many inconsistencies in the project, a review of the entire plan according to EIA has been ordered. After all, even today it was shown at the meeting that neither citizens nor representatives of the municipality want the construction of a restaurant with an observation tower and parking in this location. The people of Prague with their families are no longer interested in more restaurants. They only want to quietly walk with their children in the forest and relax in nature,” said Petr Kalla from the initiative Proti-plotu.

A private investor, who has numerous development projects behind him, presented his plan today at the parking lot near the Botanical Garden and attempted to defend it. Representatives of Prague 8 and citizens who are fighting against the eco-center with a petition gathered at the site. The petition has over 6000 signatures.

“We are still negotiating the project. The land offers a certain type of construction, and we, as owners, will utilize it and offer a new usage on the built-up area of 500 m2. Our plan brings recreational opportunities for the citizens of Bohnice and their children in the form of a restaurant, facilities, and a climbing wall, although we admit that it will not be free,” stated the representative of the investor, Roman Oubrecht. The investor wants to obtain European funds for the construction and charge entrance fees from visitors.

All planned attractions, including the observation tower, are already present in the immediate vicinity, according to the initiative. The city forest has served for decades as a quiet and recreational zone for unorganized leisure activities for 30,000 residents of the housing estate and its surroundings. According to councilors, the construction planned by the private investor would disrupt the greenery and recreational opportunities, in addition to which more than a hundred trees would have to be felled.

“Our municipality does not agree with this project. It would disrupt the integrity of the local green areas that our residents use for their leisure activities. Moreover, there would be significant tree felling, which currently acts as an acoustic barrier. Therefore, an increase in noise in this area would be threatened,” stated Mayor Roman Petrus (ČSSD).

According to the announcement of the project included in the EIA system, which assesses the impact of construction on the environment, the total built-up area will exceed 2300 square meters. The proposed clubhouse is to be two stories high and 7.7 meters tall. The eco-center with the observation tower is planned to be divided into nine floors and to be taller than 30 meters.