Kuba and Pilař will have to wait for their library

OSTRAVA - While the state budget has allocated 200 million crowns for the new auditorium and other investments of the VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava (VŠB-TUO), the Moravian-Silesian region will receive nothing for the scientific library. Yet the region has been requesting the inclusion of the construction in the state budget for years.
"For the year 2006, we requested 65 million crowns to start the construction, but the proposal ultimately did not pass in the Chamber of Deputies. In this case, we cannot begin building the library," said the governor Evžen Tošenovský to journalists today, adding that without state assistance, the region will not build the library.
The current scientific library was transferred to the region from the state three years ago. However, the library has long been located in inadequate conditions and urgently needs new space. The total costs for the construction of the new Moravian-Silesian Scientific Library are estimated at 650 to 700 million crowns. The region has already agreed with the Ostrava city council to allocate land for the library next to the regional office. The library would include, for example, two cafes and a lecture hall.
According to the governor, the delay in the project's realization may be attributed to Moravian-Silesian deputies, who originally promised the region that they would support the library's construction during the state budget voting, but ultimately voted otherwise.
For example, deputy Radim Turek (ČSSD) committed to advocating for the library project. "The library was included in the state reserve at the last minute. It would have been an unduly large blow to the budget; no projects of such magnitude have been realized at the last minute," Turek explained to ČTK why he ultimately abstained from voting. He added that there are also opinions suggesting that the project is expensive and that it would be more worthwhile to invest in the current facilities.
The Moravian-Silesian Scientific Library is currently located in the Nová radnice building. However, the site was already considered a temporary solution upon the library's establishment in 1951, and the library was supposed to be in the building for only ten years. Thus, the library is struggling with a lack of space. Additionally, the new town hall is only a few meters from the Ostravice River, resulting in significant humidity in the building, which harms the books.
Lawmakers succeeded in including a total of 1.8 billion crowns in the state budget for the next year for 200 different projects in the Moravian-Silesian region. The largest amount in the region was obtained by the VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava, which will primarily use the 200 million crowns for the completion of the auditorium and the new Center for Information Technology.
Lawmakers also supported, for example, the repair of sidewalks in Bruntál, the reconstruction of garages in Frýdek-Místek, the sanitation of damp masonry in the Karviná prison, as well as new equipment for firefighters and repairs of several schools. For instance, the Employment Office in Frýdek-Místek will receive nearly 60 million crowns for the construction of a new headquarters. The Ostrava city council received 15 million crowns for the establishment of a safe driving center.