Krumlov temporarily closed the barracks area due to logging, where it plans a new district

Český Krumlov - Český Krumlov has temporarily closed the area of the former barracks in Vyšný, where it plans to create a new urban district. Trees are currently being felled there, and the area will be closed until the end of February. The city aims to design the first apartment building and some family homes in the new district this year. This was stated by the city hall spokesperson, Petra Nestávalová, in a press release.

According to the architectural study, up to 3,500 people should live in the new urban district Nový Dvůr. The buildable area is 60,000 square meters. The study anticipates up to 1,200 apartments. A completed study for a senior home with 100 to 120 beds is also in place. Construction in the area is expected to take 15 to 20 years, said former deputy mayor Josef Hermann (KDU-ČSL) last year. An earlier cost estimate for all the buildings was four billion CZK. On the 24-hectare area, there could be apartment buildings, a senior home, a kindergarten, restaurants, and other services.

The area is currently closed for safety reasons. Trees are being felled, leading to unsecured spots like open manholes or pits. The company is removing trees that are in poor condition and invasive plant species. "The work will last until the end of February, and for safety reasons, the area will be closed to the public until then," stated the spokesperson. The company is not cutting down everything; for example, young beech trees will remain. New trees and shrubs will also be planted, as mentioned by Jan Štěpánek from the city investment department.

After the felling, the city plans to make accessible the green belt that runs through the area from north to south. A temporary walkway will be built there, allowing passage from the train station to Vyšný.

The district would be supplied with heat from a new central source; major energy companies are interested in the future contract, Hermann said last year. Český Krumlov has lost about ten percent of its population in the last 20 years. According to the previous city leadership, one of the problems is the low availability of housing.

New apartments are already being built in the former area of Český Krumlov's Jitona. The development company SVV real is constructing an apartment complex named Krumlovský vltavín, designed by Ateliér 8000. It will include 193 apartments and flats. The first phase is expected to be completed in the second half of this year, when the company finishes a six-story apartment building.

Český Krumlov, with a population of about 13,000, has a budget this year with revenues of 463.9 million and expenditures of 541.2 million CZK. The deficit of 77.3 million will be covered by the city using funds left over from previous years. It has allocated 105 million for investments.