The buyers are not interested in the dilapidated passage in Pardubice

Pardubice - An architecturally very valuable, but dilapidated passage in the center of Pardubice is for sale. However, no one is interested in it. Although there was talk of several buyers, none applied for the public tender, said Mayor Jaroslav Deml to ČTK.
    "We need to agree with the municipal development fund on how we will proceed. We have had an analysis prepared, proposals for solutions from the fund, and we will agree on what happens next," Deml said.
    The city offered for sale the Machoň passage from the 1920s and the buildings with the numbers 60 and 450 including the land through the Municipal Development Fund. The purchase price is at least 130 million crowns.
    The sale was decided by the representatives this year, as the building is deteriorating and the city hall does not have money in the budget for its repairs. The estimate from the end of last year counted on a 250 million investment for reconstruction.
    Milan Tichý, the chairman of the fund's board, confirmed to ČTK that no one applied for the tender, but he did not want to comment further on the sale process. He only stated that the process is ongoing and he does not want to complicate it with statements to the media.
    The passage with apartments and commercial spaces was designed in the 1920s by architect Ladislav Machoň in the art deco style, and the building is listed among the monument-protected buildings. The building is currently in poor technical condition.
    "The passage is unparalleled at least within the Hradec Králové region. It is interesting for its entrance portal, concept, daylighting, and incorporation into the apartment building. It is definitely valuable architecture," said Pardubice architect Aleš Klose to ČTK.
    Passages began to be built in the 19th century, especially in Paris or northern Italy. They experienced a renaissance at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries when metal structures and glazing were used for their construction, which allowed for natural lighting, Klose added.