Šlapanice want to have a detailed idea of the form of the sugar factory site by the end of the year

Šlapanice – Šlapanice near Brno want to have a more detailed idea by the end of this year about how the former sugar factory area will develop in the future. It is a five-hectare brownfield that the city purchased in 2017 and has been decontaminating for the past four years. They have now started working on a study and will gradually refine the requirements for what should be in the area, said Mayor Michaela Trněná (Clean Šlapanice).

The study follows a two-year-old architectural design by the company re:architekti. "But the requirements change over time. For example, we now want to relocate the fire department with facilities there," Trněná stated. She anticipates that the area will be gradually developed over ten to 15 years, so they plan to keep reserves for potential future needs.

Work should first focus around Říčka to create a green backbone for the area. "We are currently completing a project for the former granary with re:architekti. We want to place a microbrewery with a restaurant in it, as well as a cultural hall that will have a greater capacity than the halls currently available in the town. It will feature retractable seating, making it suitable for both theatrical performances and balls. We also want to have smaller spaces in the granary for various clubs and activities for children and seniors," Trněná said. In front of the granary, there will be a garden from which a park will be created.

During the remediation of the area, the city also purchased a nearby building on Nádražní Street, where Ukrainians are currently accommodated, but in the future, the city plans to provide health services there, so it is uncertain what will happen next in the former sugar factory. "We'll see how we proceed with the construction, what funding will be available, and what will be necessary. We definitely want to have a relatively large number of parking spaces here," Trněná mentioned. Conversely, the city currently does not plan any commercial residential construction here, even though, according to the mayor, it would not be a problem to fill the entire area with apartment buildings. "The councilors are currently opposed. We want to create a space for people who already live in the town where they can go and spend their free time," Trněná described. The population has been increasing relatively quickly since 2000 without the expansion of civic amenities. At that time, the city had about 6,300 residents; currently, there are more than 7,600.

The sugar factory area was last used for sugar production before World War II; after the war, tar paper was produced there. This production contaminated the area with toxic substances that leached into the groundwater. People nearby could not use their own wells for decades and still cannot. However, the remediation company has removed the main part of the contamination. They excavated 38,000 tons of contaminated soil, removed 445 tons of tar, and through a system of pumps, wells, hoses, or drains, removed another 28 tons of tar and almost two tons of other hazardous substances, such as phenols. Monitoring will last for another three years to determine whether the remediation has achieved the expected long-term results.