The Prague council did not approve the reconstruction of the Old Town Market

Publisher
ČTK
11.01.2021 17:30
Czech Republic

Prague

Prague – The major project for the reconstruction of Prague's Old Town Market Hall, costing over half a billion crowns, is unlikely to be realized. Today, the council voted to reject the allocation of the contract to the consortium of firms Avers and Geosan Group. The plan was rejected by representatives of the Pirates and Prague for Themselves, and Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) previously criticized the tendered price, which was tens of millions of crowns higher than anticipated. According to councilor Jan Chabr (TOP 09), the market hall is expected to undergo minor alterations and should reopen by the end of the year.


The historically protected building from the late 19th century is located between Rytířská and 28. října streets. The magistrate closed it at the beginning of last year due to the planned reconstruction. The announcement for the public contract for the renovation was approved by the councilors in March 2018, and the city holds a valid building permit. The councilors had previously postponed the decision regarding the selection of the construction company last October.

According to the tender assignment, the estimated price was 366 million crowns excluding VAT, but from the two submitted bids, the price ultimately rose to 429.9 million crowns excluding tax. According to the document that the councilors did not approve today, the time frame for expressing preliminary interest in participating in the contract, which was 13 days, was also problematic, as critics considered it insufficient.

After the council's rejection, the contract will now have to be canceled, and it is likely that, given the economic difficulties faced by the city due to the coronavirus pandemic and tax changes, the entire costly project will also fall through for the time being. However, according to councilor Chabr, the aim is to reopen the historical site as soon as possible. "For me, even though my colleagues rejected the renovation of this beautiful Art Nouveau monument, bringing it back to life is an absolute priority," he told ČTK.

He added that the magistrate should now prepare a smaller project involving at least partial adjustments to the hall. According to the councilor, this should include the removal of the suspended ceiling that was added to the hall by the communist city leadership in the 1980s. "By the end of the year, we could make the Old Town Market Hall accessible to the public again," the councilor said.

Chabr also noted that it will now be necessary to conduct a structural and technical assessment of individual building elements and select which will be modified. After reopening, there should be sales stalls in the hall. The councilor said that the market would either be organized directly by the city, similar to the case of the Holešovice Market, or a private operator would be selected. "Personally, at this moment, I lean more towards the option that the city would operate it," Chabr stated.

The now-rejected reconstruction was to include a complete transformation of the interior hall and the building next to the market entrance, which had previously served as warehouses. It was to become a glass showcase where goods would be exhibited or refreshments sold. The second passage from Rytířská Street was also to be restored. The underground floor was planned to house the market's facilities. It was also planned to announce a tender for the market operator, who would have to adhere to the city's project, including the layout of shops and stalls and the offered products.

The market hall was built between 1894 and 1897 according to the design of architect Jindřich Fialka, who was inspired especially by Paris. Similarly designed markets can be found in Barcelona, Dresden, Budapest, and Berlin.
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