Poděbrady will decide on the space for the future city hall by the end of March

Poděbrady - The Poděbrady city council will decide on the space for a large-capacity municipal community hall by the end of March. The city intends to acquire the third and fourth floors of the Růžový slon department store, owned by Bene Domus, in exchange for the adjacent parking lot. The council was supposed to approve the cooperation agreement on Wednesday, but the item was withdrawn from the agenda at the beginning of the meeting. At the new extraordinary session by the end of March, the city also wants to present a model of the hall. This was stated today by Deputy Mayor Ladislav Langr (Volba pro Poděbrady).

According to Langr, some documents were provided to the councilors at the last moment. Information about the estimated prices was also missing. "The estimated price for the third and fourth floors of the department store is approximately 31.5 million crowns, while the parking lot with an area of over 2,000 square meters has an estimated value of about 19.5 million crowns," said Langr. Thus, according to him, the city would gain an advantage of approximately 12 million crowns. "A new offer from the spa has also emerged, which wants to reconstruct the colonnade hall that we previously sought; it should be completed by spring 2025, and they are offering us a rental," Langr said. The offer includes a rental for 20 dates for the city, but the city wants an indefinite rental period. "It could cover the time until we have our own community hall," Langr added. The offer will still be discussed by the city's councilors.

The city has commissioned an architectural study for the hall in the Růžový slon. For theatrical performances, a capacity of 740 seats is planned, while for balls, there could be about 600 seats. The hall is to have a separate barrier-free access. If the councilors approve the exchange, construction work could begin next year. The costs will be known after the completion of the project documentation, with an estimate around 200 million crowns.

The cooperation agreement with the owner of the department store is to be followed by a purchase contract. Part of the planned agreement also includes the company's commitment to build a parking garage on the current parking lot area.

The Růžový slon structure, built in 1988, was originally developed by the city as a cultural house. After 1989, the construction was halted, and it transitioned to private ownership. The four-story building now serves as a department store. The third and fourth floors have yet to be completed.

The city has long lacked space for organizing larger social and cultural events. Its construction is one of the priorities for the city hall. The largest cultural hall in the city is currently the Divadlo Na Kovárně, with a capacity of 220 seats.