Opava will acquire the dilapidated building of the former department store Breda

Opava – Opava will purchase the dilapidated and unused building of the former department store Breda. The cultural monument will be acquired for 39.5 million koruna. Today, the councilors decided on the purchase. The owner, a company owned by entrepreneur Kamil Kolka, is in liquidation. What will be in the building is still not entirely clear. However, there is talk of placing an exhibition of African culture or a gallery featuring works by sculptor Kurt Gebauer. Part of the building should be used commercially as offices or retail spaces. The total costs for the reconstruction are expected to be around 300 million koruna.

"I am very happy that the councilors approved the purchase. For Opava, Breda is a heartfelt matter, and it has been shown that many people care about the fate of this beautiful building. We still have a lot of work ahead, but I believe that together, we can bring life and its former glory back to Breda," said the mayor of Opava, Tomáš Navrátil (ANO). According to him, the city plans to combine commercial activities, services for citizens, and exhibition or artistic and other non-commercial activities within the building.

The approval of the deal was preceded by several hours of discussion. Some councilors pointed to unclear ownership relations. The building is owned both by a company in liquidation, which has 97 percent, and three private owners, each holding one percent. According to mayor Navrátil, complications are not a threat. The city will buy 100 percent of the property, and everything will also go through a notary's escrow. "Only when the property is transferred to the city will the money be paid," he said.

He has been advocating for the purchase from the beginning. "We say, let’s buy it. Let’s fix Breda so it doesn't fall into further disrepair, especially the roof. Let’s conserve the building and then discuss what will be inside," he said. According to him, the residents of the city have made it clear to the city representatives in recent months what the building means to the city. "The building is currently in good condition. We even have two electoral terms to find a use for it," said the mayor. According to him, it is now especially important to repair the roof and the glass dome to prevent leaks into the building.

Today, the initiators of the campaign "Let's Light Up Breda" also spoke before the councilors. People have contributed nearly 600,000 koruna for the lighting of the building during Advent and for the most necessary repairs. The initiative was started by Linda Bittová and sculptor Kurt Gebauer. "No one but the city can save Breda. People are excited; for Opava, it's like the Hradčany. What will happen there next is a matter for further discussion and conception. We have an amazing collection of African art here, and we have a photographic institute," said Gebauer, who is also offering his works.

At the time of its opening in 1928, Breda was the largest department store in the republic. The building from 1927, which arose from the reconstruction of the original department store, is now deteriorating. The company owned by Kamil Kolka has been in liquidation for several years. The current city leadership has had an interest in purchasing it for quite some time. However, the councilors did not support the purchase in March of this year.

The city is basing its plans on a proposal from a specially assembled working group. It included representatives from various organizations, entrepreneurs, and Jiří Blata, the owner of a large collection of African culture. According to the plan presented to the councilors, the building should be used commercially for half of its space and for public purposes for the other half. The city's operation of the building should not significantly burden its finances.

The city intends to invest nearly 300 million koruna into the building with an area of 10,000 square meters. In addition to the purchase price, this includes the costs for the reconstruction of the building. The annual operation of the building is expected to cost around 17.7 million koruna. On the other hand, the city should earn 15.8 million koruna from rental income and fees for services provided. The difference would then be made up by subsidies from the city for the building's operation.

The project anticipates that in two of the six floors, a year-round market will be established along with other spaces for commercial use. The city would utilize another floor for a community center. The spaces, including a dance hall, would serve organizations, for example. In the other two floors, galleries would be created - one composed of Blata's African collections and the other in cooperation with the Institute of Creative Photography.