Jičín bought the theater from the Sokol, and began preparing its repairs

Jičín - The city of Jičín has purchased part of the Masaryk Theatre from the Sokol Gymnastic Union for 18.5 million crowns. The property has now been registered in the land registry under the city following the signing of the contract in June. By taking ownership of the property, the main burden of expensive maintenance and future renovations of the building will fall on the city, which has already begun to take the first steps toward investments in the facility. This was reported today by city hall spokesperson Magdaléna Doležalová.

Masaryk Theatre, located in the pedestrian zone on Husova Street, is a center of cultural and social life in Jičín. It hosts performances, concerts, balls, dance classes, exhibitions, and seminars. The sale of the theatre was negotiated by both parties for over a year, with the final approvals for the sale by city and Sokol authorities occurring in the spring of this year. The city will pay the purchase price to the Sokol in eight annual installments of 2.5 million crowns, with this year's installment already paid.

The city acquired the main theatre hall with facilities, a dance club hall, a small hall, and the Srdíčko theatre. The Sokol retains the section with the gym, an apartment, and offices. Common areas of the building will be resolved by co-ownership shares. At the same time, the city hall will continue to rent offices from the Sokol at market rates, where the city organization Cultural Facilities of the City of Jičín is located. The city will also rent an apartment from the Sokol. Until now, the city had been renting the theatre.

The city hall has already begun taking initial steps towards reconstruction, which could amount to tens of millions of crowns. "We want to clarify as soon as possible what further investments into the building are needed to ensure not only the smooth operation of the theatre but also to gradually modernize the building. Therefore, we have commissioned specialists to assess the current state of the building and to explore the possibility of insulating the building and potentially obtaining grants," said Mayor Jan Malý (ANO). The city hall also plans repairs of heating, air conditioning, and the roof, anticipating investments into the building's interior as well.

Discussions about the future of the theatre, which has been owned by the Sokol since 1894, have been ongoing since the beginning of 2015 due to the lease agreement. The Sokol sought a long-term lease with increased rent and the possibility for city investments. However, the city fundamentally rejected a new long-term lease agreement and increased rent, stating that it cannot invest in someone else's property.

The Jičín Sokol is not the only one in the country whose property has been acquired by a municipality. For example, last year Sokol members in Bystřice pod Pernštejnem transferred their gym to the municipality, which lacked funds for its reconstruction. In 2010, the city of Chrudim received a sports complex with a gym free of charge from the Sokol. In recent years, the city halls in Horažďovice in the Klatovy region and Kdyně in the Domažlice region have also acquired gyms.