H. Brod will contribute to the repairs of the church and the burned villa, as the region will also provide a grant for them

Havlíčkův Brod - The Havlíčkův Brod town hall will contribute to further repairs of the Church of St. Catherine and the first phase of repairs of the burned Šupich Villa, provided that its owners receive a regional grant for these monuments. The city councilors decided this today. The regional program Heritage 2024 has a total of 19.5 million crowns. According to the regional website, applications for support can be submitted until the middle of this month.

The two-storey villa with a neo-Renaissance facade was built for his family by the prominent builder Josef Šupich in 1881, according to the heritage catalog. The heritage-protected Šupich Villa on Nádražní Street was damaged by fire in 2021. The company Elektro - Servis, which owns the building, is seeking a contribution for the reconstruction of the beam ceiling, roof trusses, and roofing.

Deputy Mayor Libor Honzárek (TOP 09) said today that the condition of the building is dire. "I think you all know it if you walk by," he stated. According to him, the owner requested the Ministry of Culture to lift the heritage protection, but this was denied. He would like to apply for a grant in the regional program for the first phase of repairs to the villa's roofing for 1.3 million crowns. The city should contribute a tenth, which is 132,000 crowns. "That is an amount that the city should preliminarily guarantee to provide if they are successful in the application process," said the deputy mayor.

Opposition councilor Jan Kerber (Pirates and Independents) expressed his opposition to the city's support for this building. He stated that the building was used purely for commercial purposes before the fire. A total of 19 councilors voted in favor of the support, while two were against.

In contrast, the city council unanimously approved a pledge of support for further repairs of the roof of the Church of St. Catherine. The church is located beyond the bridge by Sázava and has been deteriorating since the 1950s. Work on its restoration has been ongoing for several years. The Roman Catholic parish has financed the restoration through various grant programs and from a public collection by the Epigram association.

The parish has now requested the city for a ten percent co-financing of this year's repairs, which amount to 2.7 million crowns, and for which they will also apply for a regional grant. The town hall has contributed to the repairs of this monument in previous years as well.