The city filed a criminal complaint due to the condition of Ostravice-Textilie

Ostrava - The city of Ostrava has filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator for general negligence due to the allegedly deteriorating condition of the site of the former department store Ostravica-Textilia. At the same time, it is requesting the building authority of the central city district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz to mandate maintenance work on the buildings. It also wants a structural engineer to assess the condition of the site as soon as possible. Mayor Tomáš Macura (ANO) told this to journalists today.
    The owner of the buildings has been RME Czech since this spring. The office of the chief architect inspected the buildings several days ago to evaluate the structural and technical condition of the cultural monuments. According to chief architect Cyril Vltavský, the situation has radically worsened since the last inspection in March, and the buildings are in very poor to emergency condition. For example, water is leaking into the structures, which is damaging the walls, and in some places, there is water on the floors.
    "The results of that inspection were quite bleak. The inspection showed that in the last six months, not only has there been no improvement, but on the contrary, the condition of the buildings has significantly worsened. We have come to the conclusion that there is a real risk of complete destruction of the building in extreme cases," said Macura.
    However, according to him, the situation is not such that a collapse of the buildings is imminent. "We have an obligation to pressure the owner of the building, especially as winter approaches. The weakest point is the roof. If the winter is harsh or associated with large temperature fluctuations, it could mean very rapid degradation of both vertical and horizontal structures with all possible consequences," said Macura.
    Nikos Boboras, the managing director of RME Czech, told journalists today that he is not aware of the criminal complaint. "This is news to me. I know nothing about the criminal complaint," he said. He claims that he is in contact with the building authority and is trying to rectify everything the authority has mandated. "Some repairs have already been made there," said Boboras. He does not believe that the condition of the buildings has significantly worsened. Boboras insists that he is providing basic maintenance for the buildings. However, he stated that if the criminal complaint pertains to general endangerment, he will have to consider whether to propose demolition. "But I'm getting ahead of myself, and I mean in the middle part, not in the first part, which is not under heritage protection," stated Boboras. He said he has no problem with a structural engineer entering the building.
    Jana Pondělíčková, spokesperson for the central district, told ČTK that the building authority is already cooperating with the new owner. So far, they have discussed the necessary modifications for the non-protected building. "At the beginning of November, the owner of the building informed our building authority about which defects he has already eliminated and which are subject to further work. Workers from the building authority will conduct a follow-up inspection to verify this information next week," Pondělíčková stated. She added that the new initiative from the magistrate concerning the protected buildings will be addressed by the building authority. "The initiative will be thoroughly investigated by our building authority, and actions will be taken in accordance with the building law," said the spokesperson.
    The decline of what was once the most luxurious department store in the city began in 2000 when ceilings collapsed during unauthorized renovations. Eventually, disputes arose between the city and the developer and previous owner of the buildings, Amádeus Real, and the complex of three historic buildings, two of which are heritage-protected, has been deteriorating for years.