The Žižkov freight station assessed the value at 660 million CZK

Prague - A valuation of the building and land of the Žižkov Freight Station, commissioned by the Prague City Hall, amounts to approximately 660 million crowns. This was communicated to ČTK by Prague Councilor for Property Karel Grabein Procházka (ANO). According to him, the total investment, including reconstruction, will be about two billion. In addition to the city, the Ministry of Culture is expected to participate in it, which would like to place the National Film Archive (NFA) in the main building of the station. The city council approved the purchase of the property last summer.

According to Procházka, the plan for the use of the building includes the Ministry of Culture utilizing part of the station for purposes other than the NFA. Commercial spaces are also planned. The repairs of the largest part of the extensive building, where the archive is to be located, should be financed by the state, according to the councilor.

The city has been negotiating the purchase of the building for some time. The station building is owned by Czech Railways, which, together with the development company Sekyra Group, previously created a joint venture named Žižkov Station Development. This venture has a preemptive right to the station building. Therefore, the city must also negotiate with the developer, who plans to build apartments and offices on the surrounding brownfield. Considering the number of parties involved, the negotiations are complicated. Councilors are expected to approve a proposal for further steps and a timeline next week.

To the north of the station, the development company Centra Group is planning to build a new neighborhood, having purchased the land along with the project from the British company Discovery Group in 2016. While the British wanted to build a commercial and office center, Central Group's plan, costing approximately nine billion crowns, includes 2,100 to 2,600 apartments, a park, and a kindergarten. The company aims to start construction in 2020.

The fate of the First Republic functionalist station building has been discussed in Prague 3 for years. Initially, it was to give way to construction, but due to pressure from local activists, the demolition was canceled. Since 2013, the station has been a cultural monument. The construction from the 1930s is considered by experts to be one of the most modern of its kind in Europe, both in terms of technology and architecture.