Two investors are interested in the automatic mills in Pardubice

Pardubice - Two investors are interested in the Automatic Mills in Pardubice. The buildings, designed by architect Josef Gočár, where production ended in the spring after 101 years, are being offered by Goodmills to the city for 40 million crowns. The city is hesitant about whether to accept the offer. Mayor Štěpánka Fraňková told the council today that she has already spoken with the interested parties and that she would prefer to collaborate with an investor.
    "The option to have a partner is feasible. We (the city) are not good merchants," said the mayor.
    The Pardubice councilors today rejected cooperation with Deloitte, which offered to prepare a financial analysis for 540,000 crowns. The analysis was supposed to propose the use of the buildings and would also consider the economic outlook of possible projects.
    "I am convinced that this space should be public, so we should buy it," said Deputy Mayor František Brendl (Pardubáci) at the outset.
    There is currently a study by architect Ondřej Teplý, which deals with the possibilities for utilizing the area from an architectural perspective. The study does not thoroughly examine the viability of commercial and cultural projects.
    Even though the councilors rejected the analysis today, it is not ruled out that Deputy Mayor Brendl will try to push for it again at another meeting.
    "It is a unique building, a unique place and has absolutely universal multifunctional use," supported councilor and architect Aleš Klose (Pardubáci).
    The mills are one of Gočár's first and most famous designs. They are located by the waterfront about half a kilometer from the historic square. They were built between 1910 and 1925. Gočár was inspired by Anglo-Saxon architecture when designing the mills. The buildings are characterized by load-bearing walls made of dark and light bricks.
    According to councilor and architect Milan Košař (Association for Pardubice), the city should mainly secure what will happen to the area in the future, and does not necessarily have to buy it.
    "In the existing zoning plan, it is still an industrial area. If someone buys it, they can easily make a logistics center there. If only there were a zoning study with regulatory elements specifying what cannot be there, I would be much calmer," Košař said.