The National Library will temporarily be expanding its depository due to space issues

Prague - The spatial problems of the National Library (NK) could be partially addressed by the construction of an extension to the Hostivař depositary. The library's management has acquired another plot of land there and wants to announce a tender for the extension in Hostivař as soon as possible, so that construction can begin next year. This was reported yesterday by the server Aktuálně.cz. However, NK director Pavel Hazuka does not yet exclude the possibility of constructing a new building for the National Library.
The library has been planning to acquire the plot in Hostivař for a longer time. It is a repurchase from restitution. The return of property in restitution significantly fragmented the land in Hostivař that belongs to the library. If NK wants to expand its depositary spaces in Hostivař in the future, it was necessary to repurchase part of the land that was returned in restitution. The price of the newly acquired plot is around 15 million crowns.
Aktuálně.cz states that the new building in Hostivař will be funded from the money that Hazuka's predecessor, Vlastimil Ježek, had set aside for Kaplický's project. The new depositary in Hostivař is expected to cost around half a billion crowns. Ježek considered the construction of the depositary as a variant solution, but at the same time temporary and not a perfect solution to the spatial problems. He indicated that its extension could cost approximately 350 million crowns.
According to Aktuálně.cz, the amount needed for the construction of the depositary will reduce the sum that has been allocated for addressing the library's spatial problems for over two years. The cabinet of Jiří Paroubek resolved in July 2006 that 1.9 billion crowns would go towards "the preparation and implementation of the National Library building". Initially, the government approved in June 2006 that this amount would go towards a "new building".
Hazuka replaced Ježek three weeks ago; the former director was dismissed by Culture Minister Václav Jehlička because he believed the preparation of the competition for the design of the new building was poorly managed, leading to all the subsequent problems with the construction preparations. However, Ježek insisted that he was not aware of any shortcomings in preparing the competition; according to him, the one who prevented the continuation of the construction preparations was the city hall, which did not sell the promised plots to the library.
Shortly before his dismissal, Ježek announced that he was negotiating for another plot of land in Prague for Kaplický's building. Hazuka, who had previously worked at NK, told ČTK after taking office that he wanted to continue negotiations for the new plot. However, he stated that he would first familiarize himself with all the materials and documents that substantiate the months-long saga that began with the announcement of the results of the international architectural competition.
The Culture Minister has also hinted several times that he is considering the possibility that the entire competition for the construction of the new library could be canceled. Only its organizer, the National Library, can cancel it.