The parking building by the gallery in K. Vary is to have a capacity of 250 spaces and blend in with its surroundings

Karlovy Vary - The parking house near the Art Gallery in Karlovy Vary could have a capacity of up to 250 cars while blending in with the surrounding greenery. This is the first of several parking houses that the city plans to build in the peripheral areas of the spa town's center. The design of the parking house at the gallery was created by Fránek architects, which presented it to the public today. The parking house would significantly improve parking options in the area near the Imperial Spa, Art Gallery, City Theatre, Vřídlo, and the southern part of the spa zone.

Architect Zdeněk Fránek, who worked on the study, did not want to estimate the final price after the project development during the presentation at the Art Gallery. Costs such as excavation work and fluctuations in material prices will play a role in determining the price. However, he indicated that it could be in the range of 250 to 300 million crowns.

According to the mayor of the city, Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová (ANO), the parking house near the gallery should be the first in which the city wants to invest, mainly because a quicker return on investment is expected. Personally, she would like the parking house to be completed within three years.

The parking house is to be built on the site of the Sanssouci café and garden restaurant, which was constructed on Goethe's path in 1876. Since the beginning of World War I, the buildings began to deteriorate and were demolished around the mid-20th century. Currently, there is a paid parking lot on this site. While today about twenty cars can park here, the parking capacity could increase tenfold with the parking house.

The location is situated in dense greenery and is to become part of a green corridor leading to the city center. The bare reinforced concrete skeleton will be fitted with zinc-coated steel structures, and the façade will be covered with steel nets that will support climbing plants. This will help integrate the building into the surrounding nature, allowing it to blend in and become part of the natural environment over time.

A few years ago, the city commissioned a study that proposed up to seven parking houses throughout the city. In addition to the spa center, these should also be built in housing estates, where parking options for local residents are also limited.

The city is currently considering specific options for ensuring the construction and operation of the parking houses. One option that has been discussed would be to find a partner for the construction and operation of all planned parking houses. However, this may not be easy.

“Given the cost, it probably won't be realistic to find a partner for all parking houses, so we will likely proceed gradually. One of the possibilities would be a PPP (public-private partnership) project to create a joint venture with a partner for whom quick return on investment is not a priority. The city would contribute land to such a venture, thereby retaining partial control over pricing,” said the mayor of Karlovy Vary today to ČTK.