Liberec will allow the construction of a controversial apartment building in the city center

“The letter is an unenforceable piece of paper. If the investor decides otherwise, or sells the project, the city has no leverage,” said statutory deputy mayor Jan Korytář (Změna pro Liberec).

The original version of the project by Talcovi Properties included a compact building with nearly 110 apartments, offices, and a parking lot. A petition against such a plan was signed by about 650 people three years ago. Moreover, the town hall issued a negative statement in 2015 regarding the traffic connection of the building to public roads. Without that, the project would not have been possible to realize. But that is no longer the case. The councilors accepted a positive statement by a narrow majority on Tuesday. Korytář criticizes this. According to him, the city has thus prepared itself the only opportunity to draft a contract with the investor with conditions that would be legally enforceable.

The deputy mayor for culture, social affairs, and education Ivan Langr (former Změna), who also negotiated with the investor, disagrees. According to him, the city will still have the opportunity to influence the project in the future. “The investor still does not have a building permit. The city will be a participant in the proceedings with two entities, on behalf of the municipality and the main architect’s department,” he stated. The investor's commitment to incorporate all the recommendations of the architectural council into the project is also considered sufficient. The investor should, for example, change the architectural design of the facades, balconies, rework the roof landscape proposal, or the permeability of the ground floor.

According to representatives of Změna, it is just about details and the volume of the building is not addressed, which they believe does not fit into this area with its "bulkiness." Korytář reminded several other projects from recent years in this context. “All of them are modern structures that respect the character of the neighborhood in mass and size,” he added. He mentioned the Vlasta Burian Center built with European funding, the new building next to the former Hůlka restaurant, and the building of the Sever housing cooperative.

The area around Papírenské náměstí, which is one of the oldest parts of the city, has long been considered one of the disgraceful and neglected places in the center. The area has a reputation as an excluded locality. “I believe that with this project we will begin the reconstruction and revitalization of this area,” said the mayor.