Plzeňský region will start renovating the former spa in Plzeň this year, which has been deteriorating for 30 years.

Plzeň - The former municipal baths in Plzeň, which were bought last October for 120 million CZK by the Plzeň Region, will begin to be renovated after 30 years of deterioration. By the end of the year, the region will have their rear section demolished. A tender for the demolition work will be announced within a month, and the area will be cleared by the end of this year. This was stated today by Governor Rudolf Špoták (Pirates) after a meeting of the regional council.

The region wants to renovate the former baths near the center of Plzeň into a multicultural center for 1.5 to 2 billion CZK, which will primarily house the West Bohemian Gallery, as well as a hall, club rooms, and offices for regional and non-profit organizations. The regional authority has already allocated 100 million CZK in this year's budget for preparatory and demolition work. The heritage-protected baths date back to 1931.

"By the end of this year, we want to announce a tender for the contractor for the reconstruction using the Design & Build method (construction commissioning where the client only stipulates the purpose and scope and the contractor is responsible for both the project)," the governor stated. According to him, there will be no architectural competition announced.

Opposition councilors stated today that the region might have trouble securing a grant for the project using the Design & Build method, which the governor rejected. He stated that the region is counting on European support. "The question is which funding titles and how they will be announced," he added.

Companies applying to the contractor tender will already have to provide a renovation cost estimate based on partially completed project documentation, according to the governor. "I expect they will have a project prepared to some extent because companies cannot provide a price without a completed project, which will also be part of the tender," he stated. According to the governor, the actual renovation of the baths could begin in the spring of 2025, ideally as early as the end of next year. It could be completed by autumn 2026.

The Plzeň Region Cultural Center s.r.o (KCPK), fully owned by the region, is currently preparing an architectural study for the renovation. It has 12 architects and designers, half of whom are based in Prague. "The main architect of the project is Eva Heyworth, who, after Eva Jiřičná, is the second most prominent 'lady of architecture' in the Czech Republic, and her most famous work is the reconstruction of the Municipal House in Prague; she was in London for many years," said KCPK's director, architect Hynek Gloser.

The region purchased not only the bathhouse building from the former owner but also the project for renovation into apartments and offices, for which they already have construction permits, as well as for the demolition. "We will definitely continue along the path of changing the building before its completion. We respect many aspects of the original project in the new solution, such as the utilization of the former swimming pool," Gloser said. The developer of the original project requested to terminate cooperation with KCPK.

Opposition councilor Marek Ženíšek (TOP 09) criticized the fact that the region has not devised financing for the baths project, which he believes is not well-prepared. According to Ženíšek, unlike the new U Zvonu gallery project, for which the previous regional leadership had a construction permit, spent 30 million on preparation, and had a 170 million CZK grant approved by the Ministry of Culture. However, the new leadership of the regional authority rejected this project. Ženíšek demands regular reports from the region regarding the baths renovation project and its financial security. Marcela Krejsová from the opposition ODS expressed concern that it was stated at the last council meeting that there would be no competitions for the project and construction. "And that everything would be awarded in-house, that is, through the region's own employees (KCPK and the regional authority)," she said.

According to Gloser, the demolition, estimated at about 30 million CZK, will be a public contract for which the region will announce a tender. "And the main contractor for the large renovation will definitely also be a contracted supplier, which the region will again choose," he stated. KCPK is currently preparing an architectural study and the tender documentation for selecting the company that will carry out the demolition.