Plzeňský region will build an athletic hall near the high school for 120 million CZK

Plzeň - The Plzeň Region will build a covered athletics facility next year at the Sports Gymnasium in Plzeň-Skvrňany. The investment of nearly 120 million CZK will not be slowed down by the hundred million drop in the region's tax revenues due to the coronavirus crisis. In addition to a 120-meter running track, sectors for throws, long jumps, and others will enable high jump training for athletes who currently have to travel to Prague. This was stated by regional councilor Marcela Krejsová (ODS) to ČTK.

"The competition for the training hall is already underway. It will close in January or February because we opted for the Design & Build method (a form of public procurement), which is more demanding in terms of submitting applications, as the (applicant) must present both a design and the financial implications of implementation and also indicate when they can complete it, including obtaining a occupancy permit," said Krejsová.

The previous council decided that the cost would be up to 120 million CZK and that the region would pay for the construction from its reserve fund. "It will not impact regular expenses or revenues," she said. According to the councilor, the competition could reduce costs.

The construction could ideally start in the spring without appeals from competitors. "The selection of the contractor will be streamlined as it is being tendered simultaneously (in the Design & Build contract). But there must still be a deadline for the project, because no one will start dealing with detailed documentation until they know that they truly will carry it out," she noted.

The hall, including rehabilitation facilities, a sauna, and space for warm-up, was promised to the school by the previous regional administration during the relocation of the gymnasium from Plzeň-Slovan. According to the councilor, it will be a complex reinforced concrete structure, similar to a bridge construction. It will be built on pylons above a parking lot constructed by the city. The tall structure by the athletes' stadium will not obstruct the view.

The new hall will be managed by the school, which will create a program for its students and the regional Academy of Individual Sports. Athletes from clubs in Plzeň and the region will also train there. The hall could also be used for acrobatic trampoline jumping.

The gymnasium, with 600 students, has had great success in championships, and Plzeň is one of the few places in the Czech Republic without a covered sports facility for athletes. The only sports gymnasium in the region, whose alumni include footballer Petr Čech and Vladimír Darida, shooter Kateřina Emmons, tennis players Andrea Hlaváčková and Jonáš Forejtek, and cross-country skier Martin Jakš, moved to the vocational school's premises on Vejprnická Street in September 2016. The region has invested 151 million CZK in the school’s space upgrades and new sports facilities as the founder.

The region is also building a gym near the Tachov gymnasium for 70 million CZK. "By the end of the year, we will definitely have spent the subsidy from the Ministry of Education. And we are discussing with them that it will not be possible to obtain a occupancy permit by the end of the year or by the end of January," Krejsová stated. The city lacks a gym. The gymnasium has to rent space from the local elementary school and sports hall for its teaching. It is a simple structure attached to the gymnasium building. The footbridge is designed as a reinforced concrete structure made from precast parts. On the Holešovice bank of the Vltava River, there will be access to the bridge at Bubenské nábřeží before the entrance to the Prague Market. On the Karlín bank, it will connect to the local bike path. By the end of the year, the city council is expected to submit an application for a building permit. Construction could begin next year.

Long-planned transformations are also expected for the Štvanice Island in the coming years. The city announced an architectural competition for the shape of the modifications, with the RKAW architectural studio winning in 2013. The project was subsequently halted for several years until at the beginning of this year, the city commissioned architects to develop the original design into a more detailed conceptual study.

The competition for a footbridge connecting Karlín and Holešovice was first announced by Prague 7 in 1999. The winning proposal became unfeasible due to changes in flood protection measures after 2002. Currently, a ferry connects Karlín and Holešovice, which is expected to cease operations once the footbridge is completed.