Prague will have an analysis made of the future use of the Karlín barracks

Prague - The leadership of Prague will have an analysis prepared for the future use of the Karlín Barracks building. The document will be prepared by the city organization Prague Development Company (PDS), which will propose what could be done in the space. According to the document approved by the council today, the monument could be used for educational and social activities. Housing for students could also be created. The cultural and social center currently located in the barracks should remain preserved.

The barracks were acquired by the city as part of a nearly two billion crown exchange of properties with the state, which both parties agreed upon. The building dates back to the 19th century and is in poor condition.

"The Karlín Barracks are a strategic object for the city both because of their location and the opportunities they can provide to the public. In order to make a responsible decision about the further use of this object, it is necessary to verify what types of operations are suitable for the building, both in terms of layout and its current technical-operational state and modifications allowed by the monuments authorities," said councilor Adam Zábranský to ČTK.

According to the document, up to one-third of the area in the complex could be rented to private operators after revitalization. The second third would be rented based on the city’s decisions and its preferred activities, while the remaining areas would serve to develop infrastructure for education.

City apartments for university students could also be created in the barracks. Offices for the city administration could also be built there, as well as a science and technology park or a center for innovative companies. Shared spaces are also planned.

According to the document, the cultural and social center that has been operating in the area since 2017 will remain in the barracks in the future. The center utilizes the inner courtyard or the outdoor courtyard of the inner block. "In the short term, the City Hall of Prague does not plan to terminate the current operation in any way," the material states.

The property exchange, valued at approximately 1.7 billion crowns, was negotiated by the city with the state for several years, and the representatives definitively approved it last April. In exchange for most of the Faculty Hospital Bulovka complex, the city will receive, among other things, the barracks in Karlín and a building on Hybernská street from the state.

The historic building of the Karlín barracks dates back to the 19th century and was used for military purposes during both Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. The building has been protected as a monument since 1958. In the past, the state attempted to sell the complex multiple times, but without success.