New contract for the reconstruction of DK Poklad in Ostrava will likely be in spring

Ostrava - A new tender for the completion of the House of Culture Poklad in the Ostrava district of Poruba could be announced in the second quarter of this year. ČTK was told today by Deputy Mayor Břetislav Riger (Ostravak), who would like a contract with a new contractor to be signed at least before the autumn municipal elections.

The reconstruction of the cultural house has been problematic since the beginning and has been ongoing for several years. Previous repairs were complicated not only by disputes with one of the former tenants of the premises in the building but also by issues related to the demands for the reimbursement of costs for so-called additional work that the former contractor of the reconstruction wanted. Ultimately, the building had to be sealed off in 2014, and the city sought a new contractor. The contract was won by a consortium of companies Stamont - Pozemní Stavitelství and Vítkovice Revmont Engineering, which offered a price of around 180 million crowns, while the project estimated costs of around 240 million. However, last year, the reconstruction stopped again because the city leadership was dissatisfied with the quality of some works, the delays in construction were also an issue, as were disputes over the valuation of additional works. In June, the city therefore decided to terminate the contract with the consortium and is trying to reach an out-of-court settlement with them.

According to Riger, the municipality already has the results of an expert report that was to evaluate not only the quality of the completed works but also, for example, the accuracy of the tests carried out, such as the load-bearing capacity of the structure that the contractor commissioned. "The report was handed to the contractor. We are currently waiting for the contractor's opinion; there are conclusions that need to be addressed," Riger stated. According to him, the counterparty's statement is necessary for further negotiations on the final settlement.

The city also took advantage of the presence of the expert to check the degree of devaluation of the building. "He was to ascertain information that is important for further modification of the project before the tender is announced again," Riger explained.

The city is now waiting for the revised project, which should also establish the estimated cost for the completion of the reconstruction. The documentation must respond not only to new standards but also aims to incorporate certain layout changes into the project. The project should also take into account the results of the expert report, for example, the need to reinforce certain parts of the concrete structure, and so on.

"A new public contract must be announced; I see it still happening in the spring. I would not like to pass the hot potato to someone else, as I would take it as unfair. If it's in April or May, I will be pleased," Riger concluded.