The competition for the Werich Villa was won by the Kampa Museum

Prague - The Council of Prague 1 discussed the results of the selection process for the lease of the Werich Villa; the committee recommended the Museum Kampa as the winner, which is the offer from the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation. Mayor of Prague 1 Oldřich Lomecký (TOP 09) told journalists this today. The decision on the winner must be made by the city district council. The topic will likely be addressed at its meeting on March 11. The fate of the Werich Villa has been a matter for Prague 1 for more than ten years.
    A new selection process for the use of the Werich Villa in Kampa was announced by Prague 1 at the end of October. It wanted to conclude it by the end of the year, but the decision was delayed. Three companies applied for the competition, besides the Museum Kampa also Post Bellum and the Charter 77 Foundation.
    According to Lomecký, the winner was decided by a seven-member committee composed of experts. "We tried to blunt political pressures so that it wouldn't become a political issue," noted the mayor. Jiří Pospíšil, former senior representative of the ODS and currently a candidate for TOP 09 for the European Parliament, is associated with the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation. Lomecký emphasized that at the time the decision-making process for the Werich Villa was being set up, Pospíšil was still in the ODS.
    The councilors will decide on the winner of the competition at the March meeting. According to Lomecký, TOP 09 will vote in favor of the committee's recommendation. Whether support can be found among other political parties is not yet entirely clear.
    According to Filip Dvořák (ODS), the councilors have not received any information from the city hall leadership about the competition results, and their representatives were not part of the committee. Therefore, the opposition Civic Democrats want to make a decision only based on the materials they receive a week before the council meeting.
    The ČSSD, which is part of the city hall coalition, is taking a similar stance. "We are waiting for precise documents and a clear formulation of the contract. That will lead to our final decision," said Deputy Mayor Daniel Hodek (ČSSD) to ČTK.
    In April 2008, Prague 1 decided that the villa would be acquired for 40 years by the Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation for a one-time rent of 23.8 million crowns and further for a symbolic crown per day. The foundation was to renovate the villa at its own expense. The new city hall leadership, after the 2010 elections, decided not to support the contract and renovate the villa at its own expense. They then prepared to conclude a new contract with the foundation, but the representatives of Prague 1 refused to approve it and decided to announce a new selection process.
    Prague 1 plans to renovate the villa at its own expense, which is expected to cost about 28 million crowns. It is to be part of the restoration of Kampa Park.