The long-planned repair of Šlechtova restaurace will not begin this year either

Prague - After years of planning, the reconstruction of the historic Šlechtova restaurant in Stromovka will not begin this year. The previous city leadership promised that repairs would start, but the current deputy mayor Jan Wolf (KDU-ČSL) told ČTK that it will not happen before next year. The restoration of the monument is expected to cost 150 million crowns and could be completed by the summer of 2017.
    The monument-protected restaurant has been deteriorating for decades. Its repair has been repeatedly postponed in the past. Heritage preservationists have long described the condition of the building as deplorable. The last tender was canceled by the capital city, which manages the monument, two years ago. The project was too expensive, estimating repairs at a quarter of a billion.
    The architect was tasked last year with simplifying the overpriced project. Wolf told ČTK that he reviewed it last week. "Compared to the original plans, it means costs are reduced by half," he said to ČTK. There will be fewer costly staircases, elevators, and unnecessary sanitary facilities.
    The Šlechtova restaurant building, formerly known as the Royal Hall, is a cultural monument. It is named after the last owner Václav Šlechta. Its oldest part dates back to the end of the 17th century, but the building was completed in the middle of the 19th century. In 1978 and two years later, the building caught fire, and it has been deteriorating ever since. It was also damaged by the flood in 2002.