Horažďovice is reconstructing the entire square, it will be completed by August 2017

Horažďovice - The six-thousand-strong town of Horažďovice is reconstructing the entire square for nearly 50 million crowns. This aims to attract more tourists and locals to the city center in the Pošumaví region. The renewal of utilities and the revitalization of the area, which will create a relaxation zone, will be completed by the end of August next year. The contractor for the surface structure will be selected by the end of this year, said Mayor Michael Forman to ČTK.

"The first phase, which includes the underground construction such as water and sewage, is nearing completion. It will be fully completed by the end of November," he stated. This phase cost nearly ten million crowns including VAT. The city has already announced a tender for the second phase, which includes surfacing, public lighting, and greenery. Envelopes will be opened next week, and the contractor will be known by the end of the year. "In the contract, which is part of the public procurement, the deadline for the entire reconstruction is August 31, 2017," Forman said.

The total cost of the construction will approach 50 million crowns. However, the city expects that it will be lowered due to competition among construction contractors. "The first phase also became three million cheaper thanks to this," Forman noted.

The surface will be paved with slabs and cobblestones. There will be no grass in the square. There will be significantly more trees, a total of 41. "The area of greenery will be incomparably larger. Trees are ideal for providing shade; grass does not provide it," the mayor stated. Only supply vehicles will be allowed into the relaxation area in front of the church and the rectory, where there will be trees, a gazebo, a statue, and benches, while cars can park in the traffic area.

The square was supposed to be redesigned earlier. The reconstruction began in 2014, but only Hradební street and about one-tenth of the main sewage collector were completed, all for two million crowns. The city selected a contractor who was supposed to carry out the work for 38 million crowns. However, the new city leadership ultimately terminated the contract. Last year, they decided that the project needed to be revised and demanded more greenery from the architects, as well as a division of the square into relaxation and functional zones. The start of construction was also delayed by two phases of archaeological research, which have now been closed.