New construction on Wenceslas Square will not be assessed within the EIA

Prague - The planned demolition of the building at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street and the subsequent new construction does not need to be assessed in the EIA process, which examines the impact of the construction on the environment. This was decided by the Department of Environmental Protection of the Prague City Hall, and the conclusion was published on the EIA information system website. The investor can thus apply for demolition and building permits. The decision will be made by the building authority of Prague 1. The possibility of demolishing the building was previously approved by the Minister of Culture Jiří Besser, while the public and some experts oppose it.
According to the published conclusion, the planned construction cannot significantly impact the environment and public health, provided certain measures are respected.
During the scoping process, the project was commented on by the management of the capital city and Prague 1, where the building is located. While the representatives of the capital city disagree with the project, the Prague 1 municipal office stated that it does not insist on further assessment of the plan and believes that the conditions for the new construction should be addressed only during the zoning and building proceedings.
According to the Deputy Mayor Josef Nosek (ODS), who commented on the proposal, the submitted plan for the area of the Prague Monument Reservation is completely inappropriate and degrades the historical character of this visited part of the city. He also stated that it would disrupt the panorama of the monument reservation because it would increase the construction to the level of the ninth above-ground floor. "The capital city does not agree with the demolition of the quality building No. 1601 or with the increase in capacity proposed for its site. (...) Even if the buildings were demolished, the new constructions should not occupy all the vacant plots," Nosek stated. According to the capital city, the creation of 129 parking spaces in the underground levels of the new building would contribute to the deterioration of air quality in this area.
However, the conservationists from the Department of Monument Care of the Prague City Hall agree with the plan, stating that the building is not in conflict with monument care interests. They argue that the current corner building, which is to be demolished, is nothing exceptional.
Against the planned demolition of the building neighboring the Jalta Hotel, hundreds of disgruntled people protested in June in the city center. Dissent against the demolition and the planned reconstruction of the building was expressed by, for example, the dean of the Faculty of Arts of Charles University Michal Stehlík, prominent art historian Jan Royt, and significant architect Ladislav Lábus. Former President Václav Havel also expressed opposition. The president of the Czech Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Jan Štulc expressed "concern over the ongoing erosion of significant Prague monuments." According to the manager of the Club for Old Prague Richard Biegel, this case opens the way to further demolitions in the future.
The new L-shaped building, which is to have three underground and nine above-ground floors, is to be built in the coming years. The investor wants to start demolition as early as this November. The new building should have two underground levels reserved for parking, four floors for shops, and the rest for offices. The investor now needs to apply to the building authority of Prague 1 for the demolition permit. Whether it will be granted is still uncertain.
Demolition does not shy away from Wenceslas Square. Three years ago, builders demolished the Diamant department store in its lower part without significant protests from the public, and a new building is rising in its place.