The new leadership of Jihlava will propose the construction of an ice rink in the center

Jihlava - The new leadership of Jihlava will propose to the city council the construction of a new sports facility on the site of the current Horácký Winter Stadium. Its roof is nearing the end of its lifespan. The previous council decided to repair the roof and to investigate the possibility of building a new multifunctional hall on the edge of the city. The city councilors agreed today to propose the cancellation of the earlier resolution. Mayor Karolína Koubová (Forum Jihlava) said this to reporters.

The city stadium, where the Dukla hockey club plays, can according to the latest structural assessment operate with the current roof only until the end of the 2019-2020 season. Jihlava councilors have been debating the method of repairing the stadium, building a new hall on its site in the center, or on the edge of the city for several years.

"At this moment, we want to build on the existing site, we want to build a new hall," said Koubová. According to her, the decision was made based on the work of a group that includes representatives of all coalition parties. This is an investment with an estimated cost of up to 750 million crowns.

Since November, the city has been led by the Forum Jihlava coalition with ODS, Žijeme Jihlavou! and the Christian Democrats. The coalition of ANO, ČSSD, and KDU-ČSL, which led the Jihlava town hall for the past two years, lost its majority in the October municipal elections.

The previous leadership in Jihlava wanted to replace the roof of the old stadium and then gradually repair the facility. To expedite the process, they wanted to commission the roof repair this year to a company that would ensure it along with the necessary projects, but no one applied for the contract. Therefore, the roof replacement could occur no earlier than 2020.

"Given the time that has passed and nothing has been done, we actually do not have any proper solution at this moment," Koubová said today. The option selected by the working group is, according to her, the cheapest and least time-consuming.

In the best case, a new stadium could be built within four or 4.5 years, said the mayor's deputy, Petr Laštovička (ODS). According to him, success will be when the project advances to the stage of project documentation so that the city can request financial co-contribution from the region or the state.