The reconstruction of the former insurance company's building in Česká Lípa into an office will begin in mid-September

Česká Lípa - The reconstruction of the former insurance company building in the center of Česká Lípa into the city hall will begin in mid-September and will last approximately a year. The city hall will pay 85.5 million crowns for the reconstruction, of which about 15 percent will be covered by a grant. This was announced in a press release by the city spokesperson Kristýna Kňákal Brožová.

The building on U Synagogy Street was constructed in the 1990s for Česká pojišťovna. However, it has been empty and deteriorating for the past eight years. The city purchased it in 2019 for 18 million crowns from a private owner who was in bankruptcy. "A new office of the Česká Lípa city hall will be created in the building, and all service offices, approximately 60 officials, will move here,” stated the city spokesperson.

When acquiring the property, the city estimated that necessary modifications would only require up to ten million crowns, but the building needs a fundamental renewal. It will undergo a complete reconstruction, including the replacement of windows, doors, roof insulation, and the building's facade. "The new office will be a modern publicly accessible building with low operating costs; we are also planning to install photovoltaic panels and a system for rainwater management," said the mayor of Česká Lípa, Jitka Volfová (ANO). The city received a grant of 12.7 million crowns from the State Environmental Fund for the proposed energy-saving measures.

The construction company that will carry out the reconstruction was chosen by the city twice. The first selection process was canceled by the city hall because seven applicants did not meet the requirements, and the eighth withdrew on its own. The repeated competition was won by the local company CL-EVANS. According to the city spokesperson, they offered a price that is slightly lower than what the city hall expected.