Reconstruction of the spa and completion of the pool in Liberec will begin in a year

Liberec - The reconstruction of the municipal baths and the completion of the swimming pool in Liberec will not start for at least a year. Originally, construction was planned for this summer, but both contracts are being investigated by the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) due to allegedly manipulated tenders and disadvantageous contracts. Michal Vereščák, the head coordinator of EU grants at the Liberec City Hall, said this to ČTK today. Even if the antimonopoly office finds no errors, it may happen that the projects worth half a billion crowns may not even be initiated. Both are financed by the EU through the regional operational program and it will depend on the regional council whether it approves a change in the grant allocation.
    Both contracts have been a thorn in the side of dismissed mayor Jan Korytář (Change for Liberec), who refused to sign the contracts with the suppliers. He based his decision on two legal opinions and the opinion of Transparency International Czech Republic, which warned that Liberec risks having to return European grants or pay millions more if the contracts are signed. The dispute was one of the reasons for the collapse of the Liberec coalition and Korytář's dismissal. According to an assessment commissioned by the ČSSD, the contracts are in order, yet all parties of the former coalition submitted a proposal to the antimonopoly office to investigate the contracts and the assignment of orders. Korytář additionally filed a criminal complaint.
    The completion of the swimming pool and the revitalization of the baths have been in preparation for several years. Liberec would like to use European grants to build a 25-meter swimming pool intended mainly for school education and training of swimming teams, which is currently lacking in the city. The extension costing 116.4 million crowns will also include a tower for diver training. The swimming pool should be completed by the Liberec company Syner, which won the public tender with the lowest price. The revitalization of the baths worth 299.5 million crowns is to be ensured by the Pardubice company Chládek and Tintěra. The unused monument-protected building of the baths is supposed to provide a dignified space for the Regional Gallery, which needs more space and better depositories for its collections, as it is currently located in inadequate premises.
    Work on both projects was originally planned to start this June. "However, construction cannot begin until the antimonopoly office makes a decision," said Vereščák. Therefore, the city hall sent a request to the ÚOHS a week ago to expedite the investigation. According to the chairman of the antimonopoly office, Petr Rafaj, the investigation is currently ongoing, but no administrative proceedings have been initiated. The leadership of Liberec hopes that the office will find no shortcomings, but is also prepared for the possibility that it will be necessary to announce new public tenders for suppliers. "Then work could start next April," added Vereščák.
    It will depend not only on the decision of the antimonopoly office but also on the committee of the regional council NUTS Northeast, which should approve a change in the schedule for the grant allocation for both projects in June. According to the council spokesperson Eva Jouklová, both projects must be completed by June 30, 2015, at the latest. "The city must adhere to the schedule. However, if it cannot comply, it will apply for a postponement," Jouklová told ČTK. The decision will be made by a committee composed of eight representatives from the Hradec Králové, Pardubice, and Liberec regions. If they do not give their consent, Liberec risks losing 700 million prepared from the program.