Due to the demolition of Štvanice, councilor Udženija faces a criminal complaint

The criminal report filed against Alexandru Udženija genuinely amused her.

Prague - The Acta non verba (ANV) association decided today to file a criminal report against Prague councilor Alexandru Udženija (ODS) due to the demolition of the winter stadium on Štvanice. According to ANV, she committed a crime by ordering the demolition of the monument-protected stadium. Vojtěch Razima from ANV told ČTK. Udženija denies any wrongdoing, stating that she merely respected the decision of the building authority. The demolition of the stadium, where the Czechoslovak hockey team played legendary matches among others, began on Saturday.
     "There is reasonable suspicion that the demolition is illegal and a crime has been committed," Razima told ČTK. Acta non verba criticizes the magistrate and Udženija, stating that according to the law, the owner is responsible for the monument-protected building, which in this case is the city. "Alexandra Udženija had a duty as the property councilor to care for the cultural monument," he added.
     Udženija denies the accusations. "I find it genuinely amusing," the councilor reacted to the news that ANV would file a criminal report against her. "I don't know if I can be held accountable for something that the state administration ordered us," she added.
     The building authority of Prague 7 decided on Friday about the necessity to demolish the stadium. "It was no longer possible to do anything else. According to the expert report we received, the immediate collapse of the building was imminent," said Martin Vokuš, the spokesperson for Prague 7.
     According to Razima, there are two possible explanations for Udženija's actions. "Either she is completely incompetent, or she is being paid. In both cases, she has no business being in the position of property councilor," he said. He therefore called on Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS) to dismiss her. He added that according to ANV, there was no legal decision preceding the demolition, and it was Udženija who decided about it. "ANV believes that she was paid off by Meridianspa, which wants to build a hotel on the site," Razima stated.
     Udženija labeled the accusations as complete nonsense. "I would be curious to know who finances this against me; a few people come to mind," she remarked.
Udženija further told ČTK that she tasked lawyers today to negotiate with Meridianspa about terminating the contract. She wants to ensure that the winter stadium remains on Štvanice and a Hall of Fame is built there.
     The city and the company signed the contract more than ten years ago. Meridianspa was supposed to renovate the island and build a sports and relaxation center with a pool and spa on it. While the part of the island with tennis courts has already been taken over by the company, the winter stadium is still managed by the magistrate.
     It is unclear whether the city will succeed in terminating the contract. Udženija admits that she would prefer to avoid a court dispute. According to her, it could take several years during which Štvanice would continue to decline.
     "We are waiting for what the city will come up with. Our offer stands. If the city says it does not accept it, then they must come up with some proposal, and we will negotiate about it," said Martin Kodeš, a member of the board of the German group Meridianspa. "However, we will not build something that the city would oppose," he added.
     The developer is said to have committed in the 1999 contract to invest in public greenery on Štvanice. They will restore the park for tens of millions, build bike paths, and in exchange will be able to commercially utilize the winter stadium building. The project counted on the demolition of the monument and the construction of a spa and relaxation center. The magistrate has yet to negotiate with the investor regarding the preservation of the ice surface or construction of a new winter stadium.
     Kodeš denies that there should be a hotel on Štvanice, as stated by ANV. According to Udženija, the construction of a hotel is not permitted by the zoning plan. She claims that a facility connected to sports must be built there.
     Several generations of hockey players and figure skaters have grown up at the stadium, including the famous figure skater Ája Vrzáňová, who trained there. In total, Štvanice has hosted four ice hockey world championships, in the years 1933, 1938, 1947, and 1959.