Hedgehog: The establishment of the new National Library will cost three billion

Prague - If the new National Library begins construction by 2010, it will cost approximately three billion korunas. The director of the library, Vlastimil Ježek, stated this today in the Czech Television program Questions of Václav Moravec. So far, about two billion was estimated. The exact budget will be determined by the National Library based on an analysis only after the discussions about the building's construction are concluded. Against the location proposed by architect Jan Kaplický in Letná, Mayor Pavel Bém (ODS) expressed his opinion last week.
    Although the library could potentially be relocated to Strahov, the head of the Prague Civic Democrats, Jan Bürgermeister, does not rule out that the proposal might ultimately be built on the originally selected site. "I'm not giving up on this," he stated. He added that he considers the debate about the possible relocation of the proposal legitimate. The city councilors will decide on the location of the so-called blob when voting on the zoning plan.
    Bürgermeister emphasized that the ODS wishes for Kaplický's construction in Prague; however, he criticized the organizers of the competition from the National Library for their weak communication with the councilors. "Efforts do not count, and the result did not materialize, so Mr. Bürgermeister is right," Ježek commented on the reservations of the head of the Prague ODS during the program. According to him, the issue will be resolved through discussions he has arranged with the mayor.
    The library claims that the problems with the land are the city’s fault, which has been involved in all changes from the beginning and whose development department even initiated them. Last week, Mayor Bém claimed that the library called for a competition for different plots than those provided by the city. However, according to Ježek, there are documents from last year confirming that the city was aware of the selected plots. He noted that Bém may not have been informed about this.
    A meeting between Ježek and Bém, likely to take place on Monday, should bring progress in the debate. Ježek did not specify the exact date but mentioned it would occur "in the next few days."
    On Thursday, for the first time since it was revealed that the majority of Prague councilors from the ODS do not want the construction in Letná, the mayor met with the project author. They initially had about a three-hour private discussion, then they discussed it on Nova TV. Although the program did not bring anything new and took place late in the evening, it attracted 931,000 viewers. The mayor and Kaplický agreed to establish a commission of experts to assess the location of the building. Whether Kaplický will be a member of this commission is unclear according to Ježek. However, Kaplický will definitely need to endorse its decision. Without his consent, the construction will not take place.
    In the proposed budget for next year, the National Library anticipates 219 million for the new construction, 396 million for 2009, and 462 million for 2010. The budget of the State Technical Library, which is being built in Dejvice, can document how much similar constructions cost. The building was originally estimated to cost 1.8 billion korunas, while the Supreme Audit Office estimated last summer that its costs would rise to 3.2 billion korunas.