Šantovka Tower brought discord between the university and the Olomouc city hall

Source
Petr Běhal

Publisher
ČTK
28.06.2014 23:55

Olomouc - The planned construction of the Šantovka Tower high-rise building next to the historic center of Olomouc has sparked division among the city hall and the leadership of Palacký University (UP). Rector Jaroslav Miller yesterday called for the initiation of a public discussion on the project, for which he was subsequently criticized by Mayor Martin Major.
    The new urban district of Šantovka is being developed by SMC Development on the site of the former Milo factory. In addition to the completed shopping center Galerie Šantovka, it also plans to construct the Šantovka Tower high-rise building. However, the Olomouc Regional Office revoked the decision of the city's heritage commission in January due to several errors, which had approved the planned construction of the new high-rise landmark within the protective zone of the urban conservation area. Therefore, the investor must undergo the entire process of official approval again.
    "I expected that the space gained in this way would be utilized by all involved parties to open an official discussion on the topic of high-rise buildings in Olomouc. However, I am following with some concern the increasing speculation and unverified reports concerning the realization of this high-rise building," Miller stated.
    The rector believes that a public discussion should be initiated in Olomouc about the future face of the city, whose skyline could be negatively affected by high-rise buildings according to some experts. "Therefore, I urge all involved parties, led by representatives of the Olomouc self-government, to engage in a standard, open, and sufficiently prolonged discussion where all possible opinions, proposals, or objections from all stakeholders can be heard," wrote the rector, who decided to initiate the discussion and offered UP as a neutral place for conducting public debates about the construction of the Šantovka Tower building.
    The rector's statement did not sit well with Mayor Major (ODS). "I am following with concern the somewhat unusual development of communication from the leadership of the oldest Moravian university regarding the discussion of the approval process for one Olomouc construction project," Major told ČTK. According to him, the standard building process has been initiated for the Šantovka Tower project. "The offer for some form of discussion is currently moot and rather smells of the politicization of what has until now been fundamentally apolitical academic grounds. The offer of a neutral guide to the public discussion from the rector, whose mother philosophy faculty has recently clearly opposed the plan for the construction of a high-rise building, sounds somewhat absurd in this context," added Major.
    With its 75 meters, Šantovka Tower would share the position of the second tallest building in Olomouc with the town hall. Some experts, in addition to heritage conservationists, oppose its construction, claiming it would damage the skyline of the historic center of Olomouc. According to the investors, the skyline will not be disturbed.
    The construction of the Šantovka district, which is gradually emerging on 11 hectares, is set to cost ten billion crowns. It will include a residential area, a shopping center, and an office complex. Architects from the London studio Benoy are involved in the project located on the site of the former Milo enterprise.

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Iniciativa proti ŠTW

M. Mertová

02.07.14 07:52

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