Ostrava University wants a town at Karolina for four billion

OSTRAVA - The University of Ostrava wants to build a university campus in the Karolina area for four billion crowns. The city has already announced a development competition for the future shape of this lucrative area in the center of Ostrava. According to rector Vladimír Baar, there remains an open space of about eight hectares where the campus could be developed. However, Ostrava Deputy Mayor Vít Ruprich said today that these lands are not owned by the city.
Baar stated that the University of Ostrava currently has 23 buildings, which limits its further development. "If we want to continue to develop, we need to buy a new building, renovate it, and so on," he said. He sees a huge opportunity for the growth of the university precisely in the establishment of a university campus in Karolina.
The campus should include not only classroom spaces but also dormitories with a cafeteria, apartments for teaching staff, a conference center, sports facilities, as well as a library and a botanical garden. The campus is to be built for approximately 15,000 students, while the university currently has about 8,500. Baar believes that the university will not have a problem increasing student capacity, as there are plenty of applicants for study according to him. Furthermore, the university could expand its range of programs, currently offering 180. "In Ostrava, for example, we currently do not offer anything related to sociology or political science," he stated.
The university first discussed the entire project with the city last year, at which time it was interested in a part of the area that is now part of the development competition, and its proposal was unsuccessful. Now the university wants to negotiate with the city again.
Ruprich confirmed that he wants to meet with the rector regarding the intention. The city would not oppose the construction of the university campus. However, according to Ruprich, it will first be necessary to find suitable land for it. "We would try to identify some plots of land in the city that would be interesting for that university campus," Ruprich said.
The university wants to obtain financing from European funds, and the rector believes that this type of project has a great chance of success. From the union fund, the university could obtain up to 85 percent of the necessary funds, with the remaining 15 percent, about 600 million crowns, needing to be secured by itself. "There are a number of options, for example, a mortgage on existing buildings in the city center, which definitely have a higher value than 600 million," Baar stated. According to Ruprich, the city could also help the university prepare the application for European funds.
Baar has already approached banks to provide the university with calculations of installments for this option. Ideally, according to him, construction could start as early as 2007 or 2008.
The University of Ostrava was established in 1991. It provides education in four faculties and also at the Institute for Artistic Studies, which focuses on visual and music arts. This year, the institute is expected to transform into one or two faculties.