The petition against the hotel at Staroměstské náměstí was signed by 600 people

Objects currently included in the hotel complex project between Old Town Square and the streets of Celetná, Kamzíkova, and Železná (blue) and objects that investors pursued in the past (yellow). Source: obcanskymonitoring.cz, taken from materials of the Klub Za starou Prahu.

Prague - A petition against the hotel that is set to connect historic houses near Old Town Square has been signed by nearly 600 people online. Others can sign the petition sheets at the stand directly on Celetná Street. The Czech Press Agency (ČTK) was informed today by the association Občanský monitoring, which is fighting against the construction of the hotel. A luxury hotel is to be created in several historic houses in the center of Prague, resulting in the disappearance of several rental apartments.
"We do not dispute the effort to utilize the houses for economic use, we do not dispute the use of the houses for residential purposes. We demand modifications to the project in order to adhere to heritage protection. The same goal, effort, and endeavor should be pursued by state administration and self-government," stated the association organizing the petition.
The historic building, consisting of eight houses, is located between Železná, Celetná, and Kamzíkova streets. Part is owned by a private individual, and part is rented by a company from the city until 2081. The costs of building the hotel are estimated to be around two billion crowns.
In February of this year, a decision by the Prague 1 building authority came into effect regarding the extension of the construction timeline requested by the investor. The deadline for completion was extended despite the project's rejection by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ). Heritage protectors were concerned that the construction of the hotel would lead to the disappearance of occupied rental apartments, even though permanent residency is one of the UNESCO protection criteria. They further criticized that a medieval block of houses with preserved original structure would be transformed into one complex, and their courtyards would be covered and built over.
The Prague 1 building authority does not have to heed the comments of the heritage institute, as the remarks from the heritage care department of the Prague city hall are paramount.
The heritage-protected building with Romanesque cellars has been empty for many years, having been partly reconstructed in the 90s. The houses are mostly vacated today, provisionally secured, with only some ground floors used for shops. Construction was halted in 1997, and since then, a provisional roof over part of the house on Kamzíkova Street has been built.