The investor is negotiating with opponents regarding the shopping center in Střekov

Author: Saller Construction

Ústí nad Labem - The battle between the construction company Saller Construction and architects from Ústí is intensifying, putting them at odds over the company's plans to build a shopping center in the middle of the Ústí district of Střekov. In the summer, the regional office decided that the construction would not burden the environment, leaving only the territorial decision and subsequent building permit. The former was discussed today by the Ústí magistrate, but opponents of the construction disagree and want to achieve at least project modifications.
Three two-story buildings are to be built between the regional court and Setuza. Together with a parking lot, they will fill the current grassy areas. According to the project, the lower floors will house grocery or electronics stores, while offices will be located above. The investor wanted to start construction in November, but the timeline is now being pushed back.
The project has faced significant opposition in Ústí. It is primarily opposed by the Střekov civic association and several architects. Their main concern is the inconsistency with the zoning plan, which mainly accounts for residential development in this area and only marginally for commercial construction, with a set ratio of 70:30. The original project does not account for residential use at all. According to Luboš Pauer, who is responsible for territorial planning at the magistrate, this is not in contradiction; when including the surrounding century-old apartment buildings, that ratio can be achieved.
Opponents have other arguments as well. "The construction does not respect the character of the area and the street grid. It has low architectural value and decreases the value of the locality," said one of the opponents, Jiří Němeček, during today's discussion.
Střekov joined Ústí in 1939, and the area near the old bridge over the Elbe was to become its center, smoothly connecting to the development on the other bank. This has only partially been fulfilled, and opponents believe that a shopping center close to the bridge would definitively turn Střekov into a periphery.
"We approached the owners of the surrounding houses, and about 70 percent of them oppose the construction," said another opponent. They are also concerned about another increase in traffic congestion; the area around the old bridge already turns into one large parking lot during peak hours, and last year's count showed that 12,900 cars pass through daily. Because of this, opponents do not rule out challenging the regional office's verdict in court, according to which the construction does not burden the environment, which significantly eased the investor's preparations.
Representatives of the investor point out that there is no larger shopping center on the right bank of the Elbe in Ústí nad Labem. According to them, it will not be classic single-story department stores or prefabricated structures, but standard brick buildings with plaster that will blend into the development. The investor has not yet offered any concessions to the opponents.
The Chomutov company Saller Construction states on its website that it has about 255,000 square meters of retail space in the Czech Republic. In Ústí, it already operates a large center in Předlice and now wants to build directly in the city center. In Střekov, three buildings are planned, each with a footprint of around 2,000 square meters.