Hradec Králové has applied for a building permit for a football stadium

Hradec Králové - The city of Hradec Králové has applied for a building permit for a new football stadium in Malšovice. The city hall expects that the building department of the magistrate could issue the permit this year and construction could begin next year. The cost of building the new arena on the site of the existing stadium is estimated by the city to be 550 million crowns excluding VAT. This was reported today by the city spokesperson Petr Vinklář. The city club FC Hradec Králové, which has been relegated to the second league this year, plays at the stadium.

"A few days ago, the designers delivered the processed documentation to the city, which is now together with the application for the building permit at the building department," said the spokesperson. The long-prepared project has thus entered the phase of building proceedings. After the building permit is issued, the city hall wants to announce a competition for the construction contractor as soon as possible.

Initially, the city hall planned to build the stadium in a cost-effective version for about 400 million crowns excluding VAT. However, in May, the representatives decided to construct a more expensive stadium with higher parameters in order to qualify for a subsidy from the Ministry of Education.

One of the bases for their decision was a letter from the then chairman of the Football Association of the Czech Republic, Miroslav Pelta, from mid-March. Pelta, who has been prosecuted since May 5 in connection with the ministry's subsidy programs, wrote to the city that the project would only qualify for a subsidy if the stadium would meet the parameters for international matches of the highest category.

The stadium is to be built in phases. The first phase includes demolition work on the existing embankments and the construction of the most important western stand with all the necessary facilities. "This will create entirely new spaces for match visitors, for players, media areas, VIP areas, glass boxes with facilities, offices for the football club, a fanshop, or commentator stands," said the Deputy Mayor for Investments Jindřich Vedlich (TOP 09).

The new football arena is expected to have a capacity of nearly 10,000 seated spectators, while the current multi-sport stadium from 1960 is designed for 7,000 spectators. The most prominent building will be the western stand, which will be built in place of the current earthen stand. The typical lighting of the playing field with four so-called "lollipops" will also be retained, although in a modernized form.