The renovation of the high school in Hradec will cost millions more than expected

photo: Ester Havlová

Hradec Králové - The reconstruction of the historically protected building of the J. K. Tyla Gymnasium in Hradec Králové, which began in June, will likely cost millions of crowns more than stated in the contract with the construction company. After the work in the historic building commenced, it became apparent that the project did not account for several tasks that will need to be completed. This was stated to journalists today by Governor Lubomír Franc (ČSSD).
    The competition for the renovation of the gymnasium was won by the Hradec company Prima with a price of 67.5 million crowns excluding VAT, which was 40 percent less than the region initially estimated. The company has already claimed additional costs. "Today, every item that should go over the budget for this building is being negotiated," the governor said, adding that he thought the price was low even at the time of the competition.
    The region has hired a special inspector to oversee construction costs. The known additional costs have been estimated by the governor to be between seven to eight million crowns. Extra costs have emerged, for example, with the repair of insulation and floors. The region has obtained a European grant from the regional program Northeast for the renovation.
    Students of the school, which is the largest of its kind in the region with 600 students, are expected to return to the renovated building in September 2013. Since last November, they have been studying in temporary facilities at the former Institute for the Deaf and Mute on Pospíšilova Street.
    The selection of the construction company faced problems. Originally, the region intended to select a company last autumn by narrowing down the number of competitors through a so-called lottery. However, due to suspicions of lottery manipulation, the region canceled the competition and called for a new tender without a lottery. In the first tender, 13 firms applied for the contract, in the second 11. The estimated price for the selection process was set at 110 million crowns.
    The school was designed by architect Josef Gočár in 1924. The building, along with the East Bohemia Museum and the Elbe Hydroelectric Power Station Hučák, is the most significant structure of early modern architecture in the Hradec region.