<Příbram> has to decide in May how to proceed with the reconstruction project of the water park

Příbram - Příbram should decide in May how to handle the reconstruction project of the aquapark worth hundreds of millions of crowns. The city is struggling to find a construction company. The repeated tender had to be canceled, as the only applicant did not meet the bidding conditions. The councilors are expected to discuss a study proposing various options for further action at the first May meeting. This will include an updated building-technical survey of the condition of the facility as well as feedback from potential suppliers. Mayor Jan Konvalinka (for ANO) mentioned this at today's city council meeting. The opposition has long criticized the city's approach.

According to Konvalinka, the options for further action vary depending on whether the current aquapark is to be used or if a greenfield site is to be constructed. There are also differences in how much of the existing project will be utilized. "Our decision in May will influence the medium-term outlook and the budget for this and next year," the mayor pointed out.

One of the proposed options is to find out where the problem with the contract arose, correct the mistakes, and announce the competition again in the same form, possibly with a higher price ceiling. It is also possible not to announce the entire contract and to divide the project into phases. Another variant suggests developing a new project concerning the current pool. Others recommend the demolition of part or all of the facility and the construction of a new building, or the construction of what is called a greenfield project. The latest variant, put forward by ODS, proposes building a small aquapark on the site of the current outdoor pool. This would eliminate the need to build a training pool, and the existing facility would not have to be closed.

In the past, councilors set the price ceiling for the reconstruction at 350 million crowns excluding VAT. However, the only bidder offered 405 million Czech crowns without tax. Thus, they did not meet the conditions of the announced procedure, and the councilors decided on their exclusion and the cancellation of the bidding process.

At the beginning of last October, the city leadership decided to terminate the previous tender and announce it again. The reason was objections from one of the potential suppliers, and the city wanted to avoid any prolonged disputes. Příbram has been preparing this project for several years, with discussions beginning in 2016. In May 2020, work on the preparation of the reconstruction in the most extensive variant was halted. According to Konvalinka, the project had become too bloated, and the cost would exceed half a billion crowns. Therefore, councilors decided to reduce the maximum price, which was later readjusted due to the changes in construction costs.

According to opposition councilor Václav Švenda from the Allies, the new aquapark should have been in operation a long time ago. Konvalinka argues that the city hall faced a large number of inquiries from potential suppliers, which it had to respond to. At the same time, he claims that they were trying to prepare the contract as well as possible.