Most releases money for the repair of Repre, opponents of the reconstruction failed to succeed with the protest

Most - The city of Most will release funds from its budget for the planned renovation of the cultural house Repre. People who protested against the investment also attended today's council meeting, but they did not overturn the decision. According to critics, the reconstruction is insensitive and will destroy a valuable building. The contract was awarded to a company with a bid of just under 785 million crowns. Thirty-five councilors voted in favor of releasing the funds, which the city had been saving for the renovation, while two voted against and four abstained.

"I urge you not to support the budget measure and not to release the funds for the renovation of Repre; it is a poorly conceived proposal, the main problem is the access to the social hall, dramatic changes are in the interior,” said Martin Trávníček. Displeased residents sent an open letter to the city with more than 1,100 signatures. Most has over 60,000 inhabitants. According to the authors of the letter, Repre deserves an architectural competition.

After the renovation, the library will move to Repre. Trávníček mentioned that locals are against this. Adam Malý from the initiative The most Most said at the council meeting that Repre will be destroyed by a political decision. "It is proof of absolute indifference to the architecture of Most,” said Malý.

Mayor Marek Hrvol (ProMOST) stated that it would be irresponsible for the city leadership to stop the renovation process now, which has been prepared for several years. According to Hrvol, the city hall approached the renovation considerately. The city leadership recently showed journalists a document in which one of the architects of the work, Mojmír Böhm, expressed his opinion on the renovation. He disagreed with organizing an architectural competition but approved two minor changes proposed in the project.

The renovation of the building in the city center has been prepared by the city for several years. In the fall, it announced the third public competition. The fifteen-day deadline for submitting objections to the selection of the tender winner will end on Friday. Subsequently, within three weeks of signing the purchase contract, the city will hand over the construction site to the contractor. Work could start in April. If this happens, the costs for this year are estimated to be around 220 million crowns, of which 80 million crowns would be utilized by the city from the allocated grant, said Mayor Marek Hrvol (ProMOST).

For the largest investment in the modern history of the city, two grants totaling about half a billion crowns have been approved. One grant will be received from the Integrated Regional Operational Program and the other from the National Recovery Plan. According to the schedule, the reconstruction will last two and a half years, plus an additional half year for the handover and finishing touches. The building is currently preserved. The last city ball was held there in 2019.

Criticism has accompanied the project from the beginning. A group of residents delivered an open letter to the mayor and the city council last Christmas with nearly 900 signatures and a professional analysis of the reconstruction. They requested a redesign of the project, and the last demonstration against the reconstruction took place on Tuesday, attended by about 50 people.

The intricate building was constructed from 1972 to 1984 alongside the development of the new city. A copper sphere of the planetarium is placed on the roof. After the reconstruction, the lights and some artworks will return there as well.