Sokolov is changing plans for the use of the South Quarry, a new district is to be built there

Sokolov - Sokolov is likely to change the plans it had for the redevelopment of the former South Quarry. Originally, there was to be a forest park throughout the entire area, but now the city council is considering that part of the area could be designated for the construction of family or apartment buildings, said Sokolov mayor Karel Jakobec to ČTK.
    "We have prepared a project proposal for a subsidy from the program for remedying mining damage, which was already on the verge of approval. For now, however, we have suspended it and will probably revise it,” Jakobec stated. In the future, a road leading southwest around Sokolov is to run across the South Quarry. The forest park that the city wanted to establish there would be divided in half by the road.
    According to Jakobec, it would make no sense to now prepare the area as a forest park and then dig it up in a few years for the road. Moreover, the southern part of the area would also be suitable for the construction of residential buildings.
    "If we created a forest park in the part towards the city and prepared the other half of the area for construction, a very interesting neighborhood could arise here. It’s just a short walk to the Old Square, and on the other side, it will be visible from the future Lake Medard,” Jakobec added.
    Considerations about revising the project for the revitalization of the South Quarry have also been prompted by the growing interest of private investors in the construction of apartment buildings in the city, while available land for construction is decreasing. Options for building family homes are also very limited. The South Quarry thus appears to be one of the few development locations in Sokolov.
    In recent years, the city of Sokolov itself has not invested in the construction of apartment buildings and has only been renovating. The last major investment in apartments was the reconstruction of the former Ohře hotel into apartments. Since then, new buildings in Sokolov have only been constructed by private investors. Currently, seven apartment buildings near the Vítězná housing estate are almost finished, and investors have already reserved additional plots in this area.
    There has again been consideration of developing the plot near the former traffic playground at Křižíkova Street, and a smaller plot for construction is also available at Karel Čapek Street. The construction of family homes is anticipated in the future at the site of the current gardening colony above the Baník Sokolov area. However, the city is still negotiating over the land there.