Ostrava wants to build a new arena for ice sports

Ostrava - Ostrava would like to build a new hall for ice sports. It would serve as new facilities for the hockey players of HC Vítkovice Ridera as well as other athletes. The multifunctional Ostravar Arena, opened in 1986, is no longer fully adequate, and its operation is extremely expensive. Therefore, the city's goal is to build a smaller hall and at the same time carry out basic renovations of the current arena, which would primarily serve future cultural or social events. This was stated today by Mayor Jan Dohnal (Spolu) to reporters.

According to him, the city has worked with several options for the future of the Ostravar Arena and has commissioned a detailed study. One of the possibilities was its demolition and the construction of a new multifunctional arena. However, demolishing it would mean losing an important architectural landmark of the city. For at least three years, the situation would complicate life for athletes, and the city estimated costs at five to six billion crowns. The second option was a complete reconstruction of the arena, which would cost between 2.5 and three billion crowns. However, for at least two years, local clubs would again be unable to use it. The study worked with several possible variants of the redesigned arena's appearance, some of which were not acceptable to the copyright holders of the original architect Vladimír Dědeček, who designed the hall.

Therefore, the city has decided to build a new ice sports hall with a capacity of around 7,000 spectators. It estimates costs at 1.2 billion crowns. An additional up to 1.1 billion crowns would be invested in the preservation repair and renovation of the Ostravar Arena. The new hall could be built opposite the arena; the city is negotiating this possibility with the landowner. "The Ostravar Arena is currently extremely economically challenging for us; there are high energy costs here, we maintain an ice surface year-round, and the costs for it run into the tens of millions," Dohnal said. The ice surface is particularly energy-consuming.

"We have therefore decided to build a new stadium and renovate the Ostravar Arena so that it remains a multifunctional hall, just without a permanent ice surface. However, if necessary, ice can still be produced here," Dohnal said. He expects construction of the new hall to begin no sooner than in five to six years, as everything will need to be prepared administratively. "We are currently discussing with the owner of the private land, who wants to build a new city district in the area, which will include everything from retail spaces to hotels and office buildings. We are discussing the possibility of also having an ice rink there. I believe we will reach an agreement for cooperation," noted the mayor.

The owner of HC Vítkovice Ridera, Aleš Pavlík, welcomes the construction of new facilities. The current arena is not suitable, especially for creating a good fan atmosphere. "As hockey players, we perceive this very positively; we are looking forward to the chance to operate in a hall that will be a true hockey arena, with proximity of the stands and fans," said Pavlík, who did not completely rule out the possibility that the club or he personally would participate in the creation of the hall.

Petr Handl, chairman of the board of the company Vítkovice Arena, which is responsible for operating the current hall, is convinced that even without hockey and other sports, the arena will not be unprofitable. "Currently, the use of the arena not only for games but also for the complete training programs of the home team HC Vítkovice Ridera significantly affects our ability to host other events. If we do host other events, conversely, we must significantly interfere with the training and game schedule of the club. It is absolutely uncomfortable for both sides," noted Handl.

The Ostravar Arena has a capacity of up to 11,000 seats. It hosts both sporting and cultural events. Up to a quarter of a million people visit it each year.