The repair of Machoň's passage in Pardubice will begin this year

Pardubice - The heritage-protected Machoň Arcade in the center of Pardubice will undergo reconstruction this year. The building has long been in disrepair and there was no money for its repairs. The city originally wanted to sell the art deco-style arcade from the 1920s, but later decided to keep it. Alfréd Mede, the technical deputy of the City Development Fund Pardubice, said this to ČTK.
    "We have the project documentation in progress, we submitted an application for a building permit, and then we will select a contractor. I expect that we could start construction in October or November," Mede said.
    The general reconstruction will likely cost 150 million crowns, and the city fund will have to incur debt because of it. Pardubice has been dealing with the dilapidated building for ten years. For some time, the sale was also on the table, but the representatives ultimately rejected it. According to the chairman of the fund's board, Milan Tichý (ODS), it was a mistake.
    "The client waited two years with an amount of 120 million crowns that he wanted to pay us for the arcade. We could have received 120 million; now we will have to invest at least 150 million. Let everyone make their own judgment. No one would have taken that arcade away from the city," Tichý said.
    The project plans to repair the roof, interiors, and restore the facade. In the rear section, the arcade will expand slightly on the fund's land. The ground floor will have shops, and the first floor will have non-residential spaces. The upper floors will feature apartments, including duplex units.
    "We are considering making a glass roof above the atrium. It is an unprotected space where 50 centimeters of snow fell in winter, and it was a problem to get there and clear it. I still don't know if the heritage authorities will allow us to do that," Mede said.
    The shops will be closed during the reconstruction. Repairs may take approximately a year. More precisely, the fund's representatives will be able to say once the project is completed. The arcade, designed by architect Ladislav Machoň, was built in 1925 and is considered one of the architectural gems by experts.