Plates with the Ostravice logo are intended to support efforts to save the buildings

Ostrava - Members of the petition committee today launched an information campaign to preserve the complex of historic buildings of the former fashion house Ostravica-Textilia in Ostrava. They are distributing buttons with the department store's logo for free, preparing to put up posters and set up petition stands. Jaroslav Němec, an artist, told ČTK today on behalf of the petition committee. As of today, more than 7100 people have signed the call to preserve the building complex.
Members of the petition committee are hand-making 2000 buttons at home. Their purpose is to raise public interest in the rescue of the buildings and to show people that they are not alone in caring about Ostravica. "Many people feel despair, thinking that nothing can be done. But over the two years that some activities, debates, demonstrations, and so on have been developing, public pressure is being created. It may seem like nothing is happening, but a lot is actually happening," said Němec.
The destruction of what was once the city's most luxurious department store began in 2000, when ceilings collapsed during an unauthorized renovation. The complex consists of three historic buildings, two of which are protected as cultural monuments. The company Amádeus Real became their owner in 2007. On adjacent plots, which it purchased from the city, it intended to build a shopping center that would connect with the old development. However, due to disputes with the city and the district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz, it withdrew from the contract and is now demanding 1.6 billion crowns from the city for lost investment.
The devastation of the protected buildings has already drawn the attention of the representative of the ombudsman, Stanislav Křeček. According to the spokesperson for the public defender of rights office, Iva Hrazdílková, the available knowledge suggests that the owner of the buildings, Amádeus Real, is neglecting the care of the buildings. Křeček is now checking the actions of state authorities towards the company.
"I think this is a logical outcome. Last year we filed a criminal complaint pointing out that we believe there is a long-term violation of the law occurring here," commented Němec.
The company denies this. "Amádeus Real has consistently adhered to all laws of the Czech Republic throughout its existence," said representatives of the company on their website www.kauzaostravica.cz, which they launched to inform about the case.
The operator of the antiquarian bookshop Fiducia, where the buttons supporting Ostravica are available, Ilona Rozehnalová, said they distributed about 40 in two days. "I think this shows that we care. And it's also a signal to the city to take action," said the antiquarian. According to her, the city could have issued a fine to the owner of the buildings earlier than last year. "Our interest can also help the city; it can show that it has something to lean on, it can say, look, the citizens want this preserved, so they can push that developer who does not care against the wall," said Rozehnalová.
The city imposed a fine of 1.2 million crowns on Amádeus Real last year, but the regional office canceled it. The magistrate also ordered the owner of the dilapidated buildings to carry out preservation work. "On March 6, we carried out an inspection of those buildings and found that only part of the preservation work had been done and that the condition of the building had worsened. Because the chief architect's department can only order certain works, we called on the building department of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz, under which Ostravica falls, to take further steps," said Andrea Vojkovská, spokesperson for the Ostrava magistrate.