Rožnov p. R. will choose a company to modify the Cultural Center project and build it

Rožnov pod Radhoštěm - Rožnov pod Radhoštěm in the Vsetín region will select a construction company that will modify the Cultural Center project and build it. Today, the city councilors chose from three construction variants for the Cultural Center. The selected variant was also preferred by the city management, and all 21 present councilors voted for it today. In the April council meeting, they could announce the selection procedure. According to the city management, the price should not increase. The construction of the center, costing more than 360 million crowns, was halted two years ago, with the foundation slab completed.

The city has earlier project documentation, but it has doubts about its quality. The new contractor will be responsible for verifying the disputed parts of the project documentation and redesigning it. According to estimates, the selection procedure could start in the spring, and it could be completed by October this year, with the construction approval estimated for autumn 2026, said Mayor Jan Kučera (Independent Rožnov Residents).

Another option was to continue cooperation with the contractor of the project documentation and announce a new tender for the construction contractor. The third option would be to terminate the investment according to the current project documentation, which would mean losing the grant and requiring new design work. The city received a grant of 120 million crowns.

Construction of the Cultural Center was started two years ago in the spring by the Zlín construction company Navláčil. It was expected to be the largest investment project for the city in recent years. The company disagreed with the city management on changing the subcontractor for the wooden construction. They also pointed out deficiencies in the project documentation and requested a higher price for the main construction. In November two years ago, they withdrew from the contract, and the city agreed with the company to terminate the contract.

The city then ordered an assessment of the project documentation for the center’s construction from the Brno University of Technology. In January last year, the Rožnov management stated that according to the initial findings of the assessment, the documentation contains serious deficiencies. The project author, Archteam project office, claimed that the documentation was flawless and that the defects alleged by the city would be incorporated as additional requirements. In mid-April, they submitted the amended documentation. The city then had an expert assessment done on the amended project documentation, which, according to the city, still contained defects.

The mayor stated that the city is interested in building the Cultural Center. "We have a unique work that is complicated, a wooden construction in passive mode," stated the mayor. Given the uncertainties and risks in the project documentation, the city does not want to choose the option of re-correcting and assessing the documentation again. "With the project authors, we are heading towards an agreement on minimizing cooperation; the author's supervision would move from Archteam to someone both parties trust," the mayor stated. It concerns architect Karel Janča.

The companies will be tasked with verifying the problems and risks in the documentation and finding a technical solution. However, the main features of the project will be preserved. "This will reduce the risk that the project processor and the contractor will disagree and the construction will be halted," said the mayor. Checking the project documentation before the construction begins will reduce the risk of additional work or construction delays, he said. The city management is negotiating with Archteam. "The city will want a discount from Archteam, and Archteam should provide a license," said Kučera. The price for the project documentation was around 15 million crowns. The city management will negotiate with Archteam and prepare the materials. In the next council meeting in April, the councilors could announce the selection procedure.

According to the city management, the cost of building the center should not increase. "The construction industry is not booming; we see room for various savings and streamlining construction," stated Kučera. So far, the city has spent 59 million crowns on the center. According to the head of the city's finance department, Martin Hrnčárek, another 337 million crowns are prepared in the budget, which includes two loans and the grant of 120 million crowns, which can be drawn until 2029. The city is expected to repay the loans by 2044, with annual costs exceeding 20 million crowns. "We have a budget of 600 million; for the budget, this is nothing we cannot manage," Hrnčárek stated.

The opposition pushed for today’s resolution to ensure that the city prepares a legal analysis of the responsibilities and risks of the selected variant, a financial plan for completing the center, and defines the scope of work. "What we wanted was for our steps to be supported not only by emotions and the fact that we want the cultural center, but that they have a clear legal basis," stated opposition councilor and former mayor Radim Holiš (ANO).