The Property Office announced a new sale of the Hanácké Barracks in Olomouc, the original was canceled

Olomouc – The Office for the Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) announced a new tender for the sale of the Hanácké barracks in Olomouc. It has canceled the previous tender, which faced an unexpected turn of events at the end of October. The new auction will be organized in mid-January. The minimum price is set at 90 million crowns, while the previous auction had a value of 89 million crowns. Michaela Tesařová, spokesperson for ÚZSVM, informed ČTK about this today.

Palacký University (UP) had matched the price from the electronic auction in the previous tender to prioritize acquiring the barracks. However, the development company Redstone subsequently increased the purchase price at which it auctioned this expansive property in September. Thus, the university would have to match the new price again. Therefore, it requested the Ministry of Finance to suspend the deadline for any price matching and to review the ÚZSVM's procedures. UP spokesperson Egon Havrlant told ČTK today that the university's management will first thoroughly review the information about the new tender. "Based on that, we will then consider our next steps," he stated.

The state has been trying to sell the Hanácké barracks since September 2021. The first bid came in the ninth round of the auction held in September. "ÚZSVM thoroughly evaluated the course of the tender so far and decided to cancel the tender due to maximum transparency and compliance with the fundamental obligations under the State Property Act. Subsequently, it announced a new tender with an electronic auction, which anyone can apply for," Tesařová stated. The auction for the Hanácké barracks will begin on January 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM and will last until January 15 at 10:00 AM. Anyone who pays a deposit of nine million crowns by January 13 can enter the electronic auction.

The Hanácké barracks were auctioned off in September for 89.1 million crowns by the company Redstone, in which entrepreneur Richard Morávek has a stake. According to the auction conditions, the university could express interest in matching this price within the specified timeframe and thus acquire the extensive property from the state preferentially. The academic senate and the board of the university approved the purchase of the Hanácké barracks at the beginning of October. The UP administration then requested ÚZSVM to match the winning price offer of 89.1 million crowns within the deadline. The office informed the company Redstone about this, which subsequently raised its bid to 90 million crowns. The university then could match the increased price for the Hanácké barracks again.

The university's management criticized the procedure. According to Rector Martin Procházka, it became apparent that ÚZSVM distinguishes between a closed electronic auction and a tender. Tesařová pointed out at the time that a tender ends either with a contract being signed or its cancellation. Even after the electronic auction ends, it is still possible to increase the offered purchase price. According to Tesařová, this procedure is allowed by a regulation of the Ministry of Finance.

The university would like to build student accommodation capacity in the Hanácké barracks, which are in short supply. Also considered are catering facilities, offices, or conference halls. Part of the space was to serve as storage.