Praha 1 will announce a new tender for the management of the Werich Villa

Prague - The representatives of Prague 1 rejected the proposed cooperation agreement with the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation for the management of Werich Villa. The city hall will announce a new public procurement procedure. The municipal council unanimously decided on this at today's meeting. The representatives of the foundation agree with the decision and wish to apply for the new procurement procedure. Other organizations, such as Post Bellum or HAF Studio, also want to participate. Prague 1 has been dealing with the fate of Werich Villa for over ten years.
    According to the mayor of Prague 1, Oldřich Lomecký, in recent days the city hall has received additional offers for the management of Werich Villa. Therefore, he decided to propose to the council members to announce a new procurement procedure.
    "I confirm on behalf of the foundation that we agree with this," said lawyer Hana Marvanová at the meeting. She added that the foundation will present a project in collaboration with DAMU and the National Theatre. According to the prepared cooperation agreement, the foundation wanted to establish a cultural and social center and a museum of Jan Werich and Jiří Voskovec in the villa, or an archive and library of Jan and Meda Mládek.
    The public procurement procedure should be announced by the end of October. Interested parties for the lease must submit a project that takes into account the legacy of Werich and Vladimir Holan, who lived in the villa, and Voskovec. According to Lomecký, the winner could potentially be selected by the end of the year.
    For example, Post Bellum, in collaboration with HAF Studio, also wants to apply with their project. According to their representatives, they would like to create a lively place for gathering in the villa, which could for example become a theater.
    Today's decision once again delayed the resolution regarding the fate of Werich Villa. Mayor Oldřich Lomecký stated that regardless of whether the agreement is concluded or not, the city hall will begin repairs on the building by the end of the year. The reconstruction is expected to cost 25 to 30 million crowns, and the city hall will apply for a grant from the Ministry of Culture. The municipal district reportedly will repair the villa even if it does not receive money from the state.
    The representatives spent several hours discussing the future of Werich Villa, ultimately all present voted for the new procurement procedure. "At the moment the foundation does not finance the reconstruction of the villa and the repairs will be directly paid for by the municipal district, I consider the new procurement procedure to be the cleanest solution. Of course, its criteria must be approved by the council," stated councilor Kateřina Klasnová (Public Affairs).
    In April 2008, Prague 1 decided that the foundation would acquire the villa for 40 years for a one-time rent of 23.8 million crowns and further for a nominal crown daily. The foundation was supposed to repair the villa at its own expense.
    The new city hall leadership decided not to support the contract after the 2010 elections and to repair the villa at its own expense. According to Lomecký, the renovation of the villa will likely begin at the beginning of the year regardless of the outcome of the current negotiations, coinciding with the start of modifications to the entire Kampa park.