Historical slaughterhouse in Ostrava awaits inspection by heritage conservationists

Ostrava - A construction-historical survey is being prepared in the historic building of the municipal slaughterhouse, which Ostrava acquired some time ago. It is to be led by the National Heritage Institute. The survey should show which elements of the building are key in terms of historical value, said Mayor Tomáš Macura (ANO) to reporters during today's visit to the decaying heritage-protected slaughterhouse.

The survey should determine which elements should be preserved during the planned renovation. The city has also commissioned a structural-technical survey, which is supposed to show, for example, where engineering networks run.

An architectural competition is also being prepared. The city wants to announce a so-called invited architectural competition, in which several selected architectural firms will be directly approached. The competition is being prepared for the city by architect Ludvík Grym. It is to be two rounds, and the city expects the participation of foreign architects as well. Initially, it expected to announce it by the end of the year, but the preparation for the competition is more complicated. "We hope to announce it in January. I was an optimist and hoped it could be done in December," added Macura.

Some time ago, the city purchased not only the slaughterhouse for 80 million crowns, but also the former Bauhaus DIY store, which it had pursued for several years. Both buildings are to serve for cultural purposes.

"We would like to bring it to the stage where the reconstruction of the slaughterhouse will be irreversible because we are aware that not all councilors are supporters of these activities. If we can reach a point by mid-2018 where a contractor is selected and contracts are signed, ideally with some advance payment made, that would be ideal," said the mayor. He anticipates that in such a case, the renovated building could be completed by 2020.

The municipal slaughterhouse in the city center was established in 1881. However, in 1994, the municipal district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz sold the two-hectare land along with the slaughterhouse building to the company Bauhaus for more than 38 million crowns. The company built its DIY store in close proximity to the slaughterhouse.

However, the slaughterhouse fell into disrepair and was never renovated, and the store later also ceased operations. The city has long been trying to regain the heritage-protected slaughterhouse. According to the latest expert assessment, the value of the complex is over 90 million crowns. The city estimates the renovation costs for the slaughterhouse at 100 million.