Plzeň will start looking for the builder of the theater

Plzeň - The archaeological examination of the land for the construction of a new theater in Plzeň is complete and will not delay the construction. The city hall will announce a tender for the builder of the building, which will cost nearly one billion crowns and is set to open in May 2014, next month. CTK was informed by Deputy Mayor Petr Rund (ODS).
    "The archaeologists found nothing on the site. Last Thursday, employees of the West Bohemian Museum and representatives of the Jewish community visited the site at their own request and confirmed that, apart from the historical foundations of buildings, there are no archaeological monuments that would require special remediation of this area. Therefore, the area is suitable and ready for construction," he stated.
    Deputy Mayor for Culture Eva Herinková (ČSSD) added that the city hall was concerned that, similar to the neighboring Plaza shopping center, they might encounter remnants of an old Jewish cemetery on the site designated for the new theater.
    According to Rund, the tender for the theater builder will be announced in a few weeks, no later than the end of June. Construction will begin in October or November; earthworks will continue through the winter.
    The city hall has secured funding for this year and next. "There is a resolution from the city council from this January regarding it. A special fund has been established for the construction of the theater," added Rund. According to him, the new theater should be completed in May 2014, and during the summer, it will undergo trial operation, with everything necessary moving from the old building of the Chamber Theater, which is in a disastrous condition. The new season should begin in September 2014 in the new building.
    The city hall reached a compromise with the police regarding parking. The original request for 400 spaces has been reduced by half. "It will be underground parking, which will be part of the building," Rund added.
    "Besides one large and one small hall, there will be rehearsal rooms for all theater disciplines in the facility. In the old theater, artists have only one option to rehearse on stage," stated Herinková. The deputy mayor is not in favor of alternative art appearing on the stages; according to her, there are other entities in Plzeň dedicated to this genre. "And alternative art will also have a significant place in Světovar (the former barracks and brewery where a cultural factory is to be created)," added Herinková.
    The theater is expected to cost around one billion crowns. "However, the city expects to save 20 percent of the cost due to competition among builders during the crisis," stated Economic Deputy Mayor Martin Zrzavecký (ČSSD). The new building, which will feature a façade reminiscent of a theater curtain, will have a hall for 500 spectators and a studio stage for 150 people. It will serve for drama, musicals, ballet, and opera. The facility will include a restaurant, a café, exhibition space, and a bookstore. By 2015, when Plzeň will be the European Capital of Culture, the residents of Plzeň should enter with a new venue.