The fate of the Světopar in Plzeň remains open, a contract for remediation is underway

Plzeň - For at least a few more weeks, possibly until November, the fate of the significant project in Plzeň to build an archive and so-called cultural factory at the Světovar site remains unclear. The city needs to push the deadline for completion to September 30, 2015, from the Committee of the Regional Council ROP Southwest, which would grant a subsidy of 114 million crowns. However, the committee is waiting to see how the tender for remediation announced by the city will turn out. If ROP does not allow the extension, new representatives will decide on Světovar in November. The city deputies Pavel Šindelář (ODS) and Martin Zrzavecký (ČSSD) told journalists today.
    "The selection procedure will probably be carried out after September 10, the office must evaluate the bids, then there are deadlines for appeals," said Zrzavecký.
    According to him, this is a contract estimated at about 15 million crowns, related to remediation, specifically the replacement of hazardous cork waste found in the building's insulation this spring. The discovery of this hazardous material complicated the construction.
    If ROP allows the extension, which would be an unusual step and set a precedent, the city will continue with the construction. According to Zrzavecký, the funds for remediation are already approved, and therefore the winner of the tender will be able to carry out the work. "However, if ROP says it will not extend the deadline, it will be a change of conditions for the entire project, and new representatives will then have to decide whether to continue without the subsidy," Zrzavecký said.
    Financially, the project is secured, as the city will pre-finance it with nearly 300 million crowns from its fund. Theoretically, they could complete Světovar on their own, but a subsidy was planned from the beginning.
    The program of the Plzeň project as the European Capital of Culture, which was to take place in the cultural factory next year, will be moved to the vacant depot on Cukrovarská Street. "It will involve most of the activities that Plzeň 2015 planned at Světovar," said spokesperson for Plzeň 2015 Mirka Reifová.
    According to the program director of Plzeň 2015 Jiří Sulženko, the company will take over two halls in the Cukrovarská area on October 1. "We will use the spaces for two major profile exhibitions, on design and photography. At the same time, they will also serve for live art and as a background for our partner projects," said Sulženko. The rental is currently approved until the end of 2017.
    "If the cultural factory does not arise in Světovar in 2015, it would complicate the situation, but it is definitely not a direct threat to the European Capital of Culture project Plzeň 2015," stated the director of the Plzeň 2015 project Jiří Suchánek.