<Dvůr Králové wants to obtain hundreds of millions in subsidies for the reconstruction of the Mayer factory.>

Dvůr Králové nad Labem - The city of Dvůr Králové nad Labem would like to obtain a grant from the National Recovery Plan from the Brownfields program for the redevelopment of the former Mayer factory into a cultural and entertainment center. According to the city hall, the so-called eligible costs for the grant amount to over 350 million crowns. The city council has already approved the application for the grant. It should be clear whether the grant is obtained in the second half of the year. The city has a building permit for the construction. Miroslava Kameníková, the spokesperson for the city hall, told ČTK today.

The area of the former Mayer factory in the city center, covering 5,500 square meters, contains several buildings. The city hall estimates the costs of the redevelopment at hundreds of millions of crowns. It would thus represent one of the largest investment projects in the modern history of the city. The factory is to be reconstructed according to a design by Grimm Architekti, which won the architectural competition.

Without the grant, according to Mayor Jan Jarolím (ANO), the city would not be able to finance the redevelopment. He stated that by approving the grant application, the council has given the whole project a chance. The project has been divided into two phases, and the grant from the National Recovery Plan is expected to cover a significant portion of the costs for the construction of the new southern part of the area with a multipurpose hall and a puppet theater. The second phase of the project will involve the construction of an educational center and a children's entertainment center in the northern part of the area. The city intends to continue seeking grants from other sources, such as European cross-border cooperation programs.

To obtain the grant from the National Recovery Plan, it is required to complete construction work by the end of 2025 and to open the facility by the end of 2026. "In addition, the energy self-sufficiency of the building is evaluated. For this reason, the new building is designed as low-energy. Thanks to photovoltaic panels installed on part of the roof, it should cover 120 percent of the planned energy consumption," stated Deputy Mayor Jan Helbich (ANO).

Significant costs in the first phase of construction will be related to demolition work and the removal of old ecological burdens, estimated at over 130 million crowns. The construction of underground garages, which can also be used for public parking, is estimated at about 150 million crowns.

The city of Dvůr Králové purchased the Mayer factory on Republic Square in 2017 for 9.4 million crowns from the local cooperative Vánoční ozdoby. Originally, it was a textile factory; later, there was a marketplace in the area, and the company Strojtex also operated there. The factory buildings are located in a city heritage conservation area.