Some people from Malešice criticize the plan for the construction of a new center

Prague - Some residents of Malešice in Prague 10 are protesting against the planned construction of a new center there. They believe that the new buildings are too large, that there will be an increase in cars in the area, and that local people will gain no benefit from the new structures. A petition against the construction of "skyscrapers" has even been created, Jiří Mísař from the petition committee informed ČTK. Mayor Vladislav Lipovský has not officially seen the petition, but will soon discuss it with its authors.
    A new center with approximately 600 apartments is to be constructed in Malešice on an area of about 10,000 square meters. The complex of buildings will include four tower blocks. Together, they are meant to form a square from which streets, passages, and arcades will emerge. Several thousand square meters will be designated for commerce and services. There will be 960 parking spaces in the basement.
    The authors of the petition label the project as gigantic. "It is clear that the project reeks of an effort for maximum profit benefiting a private company not only at the expense of the residents of surrounding buildings but also of the whole Malešice area," stated Mísař. According to him, the buildings will be very close to the polyclinic and apartment buildings on Nad Úžlabinou Street and will overshadow them. New cars, according to Mísař, will further burden Počernická Street, and the exits from the underground garages will lead directly opposite Malešice Park and a street with a school.
    "The residents of Malešice need public space and a cultural and social center where they can meet, communicate, and enjoy themselves," said Mísař. He added that it is also necessary to plant new greenery. "Such demands are not met by the Malešice Center project," he concluded.
    The new buildings will be constructed by the company České nemovitosti, which won the tender four years ago. The city hall is now preparing the sale of the land. "We are negotiating a contract," Mayor Lipovský told ČTK today. He did not want to comment on the arguments of the opponents of the construction, as he did not want to exchange opinions through the media.
    The construction in Malešice has been planned since the 1960s. Currently, the land is covered with grass and wild-growing shrubs, remnants of paving, panels, and asphalt.