The purchase agreement for Ještěd will be approved by the new regional assembly

Liberec - The new elected representatives of the Liberec Region will approve the purchase contract for the Ještěd mountain hotel and transmitter. The current leadership of the region has, however, been tasked with preparing it, discovering the sale parameters from the current owner, Czech Radiocommunications (ČRa), the financing conditions, and possible subsidies for its renovation. The coalition Pirates wanted to leave the preparation of the purchase contract to the new council but did not gather support for the proposal. The majority of the opposition ANO movement did not vote.

The Ještěd hotel and transmitter has been serving since 1973 and is among the most original architectural works in the Czech Republic. Architect Karel Hubáček, who would have celebrated his hundredth birthday this year, received the prestigious international Perret Award for the project. Since 2006, the building has been a national cultural monument, and people chose it as the Czech building of the century. "Ještěd is a symbol of the Liberec Region; we perceive it as a lighthouse. Historically, the region has already tried to gain control over this extraordinary building," said Tomáš Hocke (Mayors for the Liberec Region), according to whom the region should not hesitate.

"We understand the importance of the Ještěd mountain hotel and transmitter; we are not fundamentally against its purchase, but we want to leave the decision to the newly elected council," said Jan Tempel (Pirates), who submitted the proposal. The resolution instructed Governor Martin Půta (Mayors for the Liberec Region) to have the city management ascertain the basic parameters for the sale of the property and to secure financing and present the information to the councilors at the meeting on August 27. However, this council will not discuss the purchase contract.

Last week, the Governor signed a memorandum of understanding with ČRa director Miloš Mastník, in which the radiocommunications confirmed that they do not intend to negotiate the sale of the property with any other interested party until the end of this year. "I believe that no one will outpace us, there is no rush, we do not want to present the parameters of the purchase contract; we want to leave more freedom in the negotiations to the new council," added the Deputy Governor Zbyněk Miklík (Pirates).

The intention to purchase Ještěd was approved by the councilors as early as August 2008 when a coalition led by the ODS was in charge of the region. It was speculated at that time that the price would be around 70 million crowns, and a budget of one hundred million crowns was prepared for it. However, after the elections, the government was formed by the ČSSD and did not continue the negotiations. "They dissolved the money into healthcare fees," said Půta, who would welcome if this council discussed the wording of the contract and also prepared an agreement on the financing of the purchase and renovation. According to him, the regional budget can bear the financing.

The monument urgently needs a complete renovation, including infrastructure; costs are estimated by the designers to exceed half a billion crowns. The regional councilors also approved the region's entry into the Ještěd 73 association, which has contributed to the restoration of the building's interiors to their original form from the 1970s. The association aims to unify and coordinate the activities of various groups concerning Ještěd and to assist in the creation of documents and projects for the future renovation of this unique building.