The main train station in Ostrava has a new shelter for 19 million

Ostrava - The area in front of the main train station in Ostrava is covered by a new shelter costing 19 million crowns. The original building was already in a dilapidated state, so the district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz had it reconstructed. The modern roofing is the first phase of the modernization of the entire area in front of the station, which will take a total of 150 million crowns over the course of two years. This was stated today by the district mayor Miroslav Svozil (ODS).
    The original steel structure, which protects passengers at the public transport stops, had to be completely renovated and clad in aluminum by the construction company Hochtief CZ. The shelter also received a new roof with a lifespan of about 25 years and new lighting, specified the project manager of the company, Daniel Motyčka. According to him, the price corresponds to the materials and technologies used.
    Next year, further modifications to the area in front of the station will follow the reconstruction of the shelter, for which the district wants to obtain a European grant. They hope to apply for it by the end of November. If they are unsuccessful, they will likely divide the entire project, which has been prepared since 2008 into ten phases, and realize it using the district budget or contributions from the municipality, Svozil told ČTK.
    In the future, the area in front of the station will have new surfaces. Drivers will likely welcome over 90 new parking spaces directly in front of the station and about 50 more spaces on Skladištní Street, with which the area in front of the station will be connected. Thanks to the barrier-free ramp, the train station building will be accessible to passengers with disabilities.
    A dominant feature of the currently unbounded space will be a completely new multifunctional building with a clock tower. It will offer cafes, shops, and a museum that will commemorate the Viennese architect Camillo Sitte - among other things, the author of the urban plan for the district of Přívoz. The design of the space transformation is the work of the Ostrava studio PROJEKTSTUDIO EUCZ, which already dealt with the reconstruction of the train station building belonging to the Czech Railways about three years ago.
    According to Svozil, it will be up to the new leadership of the city district to start negotiations with ČD about the reconstruction of the platforms themselves and their immediate surroundings.