The Opava magistrate is looking for uses for the Dukelské Barracks site

Opava - The Opava City Council continues to seek ways to utilize the area of the former Dukelská Barracks. A large part of them is abandoned and deteriorating. Therefore, an urban study has been commissioned. The possibility of constructing its own apartment building is also being considered. If the city were to build the first apartments there, it might attract other investors, said the city’s mayor Radim Křupala (ČSSD).

The Dukelská Barracks cover an area of approximately 11,000 hectares. In the lower part, there are historical buildings that are decaying, and it is unclear how they could be used. In the upper part, several companies engaged in light manufacturing are situated, such as a bicycle manufacturer. The city council is currently addressing the utilization of the central part, which exceeds 6,000 hectares. "This area is currently without development or has wooden garages or unnecessary houses," said the mayor.

The city plans to demolish these buildings. It is also preparing the construction of a backbone network for water and sewage. The city wants to prepare the land to make it more attractive for potential investors. The planned study aims to divide the area into smaller plots that would be offered for individual constructions. This is in case the city, which owns 90 percent of the area, does not find an interested party for the entire space. The study will be completed in November and the city will pay more than 300,000 crowns for it.

In the past, the city had planned a combination of housing and light manufacturing for the central part of the barracks. Now it wants to focus mainly on apartment buildings. "I can imagine that if no interested parties are found, the city will be the first investor in the future to build an apartment building there," added Křupala.

Originally an artillery barracks, it was built in Opava in 1889. It was initially named Rudolfova, and later it bore the name of the first president T. G. Masaryk. After the end of World War II, it was renamed Dukelská. The construction of the historic buildings involved the city’s building engineer, painter, founder, and director of the City Museum in Opava, Moritz Hartel. During the Communist regime, up to 1,000 soldiers were enlisted at the site annually. The army left the facilities in 2007.