Investor withdrew from the construction of the shopping gallery in Vsetín

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Vsetín - Valatrans company has withdrawn from the intention to build a shopping gallery in front of the railway station in Vsetín. The reason is the objection of the Vsetín Forum against the issuance of the zoning decision. This was announced today at the city council by Mayor Jiří Čunek (KDU-ČSL). He later told reporters that this significantly complicates the situation for the city.

"In my opinion, the construction won't stop, but it will be significantly delayed. For the company, this is unacceptable given the loans they have contracted. They have contracted companies with which they have signed agreements. The process could be extended for several months or years, they have already invested over ten million crowns, and they do not want to take further risks," Čunek said, adding that the investor does not want to work in the city under the current circumstances and is withdrawing from the contract.

The investor's costs were expected to be around a quarter billion crowns. The company wanted to build a shopping gallery and an underground parking lot under part of the existing parking area near the tower building. The city was supposed to follow up with the construction of its own underground parking under the remaining part of the parking lot. The city is expected to spend about 50 million crowns for the underground parking and surface modifications. The "city" part of the parking lot was supposed to have 55 parking spaces, while in the coming years, there are also plans for a parking garage with a capacity of about 200 spaces in front of the station.

If the project is not realized, the city, according to Čunek, would lose significantly, having already spent several million on project preparation. Considering the planned construction of the station and changes to the traffic situation around it, the city convinced Valatrans that it should demolish its building currently on the site. "That they would demolish it and build a new gallery, moving it further away from the station. If they do not do that and build their shopping center where it is, it will complicate the station construction and the traffic situation, and we will be in trouble. We will have to rethink where the tunnel will exit and how to modify the surrounding areas," Čunek stated.

According to the mayor, the company's statement was definitive, but he believes that its owner will change his decision again. Čunek also mentioned that complications regarding this project have resulted from the fact that he has not yet stepped down from his position as mayor, as he promised after the regional elections. The Christian Democrats won the elections in the region, and Čunek became the governor.

Michal Berg, the leader of the Coalition for an Open Vsetín, which includes not only the Vsetín Forum but also the Green Party and the Pirates, told reporters today that the Vsetín Forum merely pointed out the project's shortcomings. "From the beginning, we warned that the project lacks parking spaces, attracting many people who will come here by car and will have nowhere to park. Therefore, the entire center, which already has parking issues, will fill up even more. During the discussions, we also identified a second problem regarding the overshadowing of surrounding buildings, which is out of compliance," Berg stated.