Humpolec is considering buying the community house; the representatives must make the decision

Humpolec – Humpolec in the Pelhřimov region is considering purchasing the Community House from a private owner, built at the end of the 19th century. The owner has presented an offer, and negotiations on the price are now underway. The plan has already been discussed by the regional council. According to the mayor of Humpolec, Karel Kratochvíl, the final decision on the property purchase will be made by the councillors in June.

"The Community House is in private hands, and the owners no longer want to operate it, so it is for sale. We were approached by the owners to see if the city would be interested in acquiring it," said Kratochvíl. He noted that the offer was first directed towards the city. According to him, the Community House is an important building for the city, and the city's leadership intends to preserve it in its current form. "Anything could happen; a developer could buy it, and completely change its structure and character. That is why the intention is for it to be owned by the city," Kratochvíl stated. The purchase price has not yet been disclosed and should be publicly known at the council meeting on June 22.

The building on Smetanova Street has been standing since 1899. "It really functioned as a socio-cultural institution. It operated under the management of societies until the time of nationalization," said Kratochvíl. Subsequently, the building was municipal and a cinema was established within it. However, without the city's care, the building deteriorated; a demolition order was issued for it in the late 1980s. According to Kratochvíl, the destruction of the building was halted by changes after 1989, when its current owners purchased it and renovated it. "Back then, it was a ruin, and the city was working with a very limited budget, so there simply weren't funds for the repair," Kratochvíl said. The new owners continued to use it for cultural and social purposes. It features a large hall with a dance floor.

Now, according to the mayor, the Community House is in good technical condition. Any potential investments would depend on how the city wants to use it. An architectural competition could also be in play to define the possibilities for the building. "But I don't want to get ahead of myself; right now we will focus on whether the city will acquire this building, which has enormous internal potential," Kratochvíl said.