The sports hall, the dominant feature of Frýdek-Místek, will fall to the ground

Frýdek-Místek - The multipurpose sports hall in Frýdek-Místek by the Ostravice River, which has been one of the city's landmarks for about 35 years, will be demolished. In its place, a multifunctional entertainment and shopping center will be built along with a new, much smaller hockey hall. The plan was previously approved by the councilors. Today, the council agreed to the terms of the contracts for the construction of the multifunctional hockey hall and the sale of the land near the multipurpose sports hall, city officials told reporters.
    Most of the land near the existing hall, including the buildings, will be purchased by the Prague company Euro Mall FM for about 80 million CZK. They will build a multifunctional center costing about one billion CZK and will demolish the current hall at their own expense. The city will have a new hockey stand built on the remaining part of the land for 190 million CZK.
    "The city will receive 80 million for the sale of the land and the old hall. Additionally, 36 million CZK will be saved on equipment from the current hall, primarily cooling equipment and the boards, which will be reused in the new hall. Therefore, the total cost for the city will be around 80 to 90 million," clarified the mayor's deputy Michal Pobucký.
    According to him, the new construction will be much cheaper than the reconstruction of the old building. "The costs for reconstructing the existing hall are estimated at approximately 350 million. Therefore, if we compare the costs of renovation and building a new hall, the city will save about a quarter of a billion," he added.
    The new hall should accommodate only 2,000 seated spectators compared to 6,500 in the current hall. However, according to city officials, the capacity will be sufficient, and smaller construction will also save several million CZK in operating costs annually. The operation of the old hall costs the city 15 million CZK per year.
    The new hall, which is expected to start construction in 2011, will offer better facilities for hockey players and will also host cultural events. The operation of the hockey club, according to the mayor's deputy Petr Cvik, will not be jeopardized. "The new hall should not be built on the site of the old one. There is also a second option, to carry out the demolition and construction outside of the hockey season," he stated.
    The multipurpose sports hall, which can be seen from Lysá Mountain in the Beskids, was built around 1975. Local people helped to construct it for free during the so-called Action Z. The city has owned the hall for about five years, having bought it from the bankruptcy administrator at an auction for ten million CZK. Its current technical condition is deemed poor by the city, and it would have to be demolished in the future anyway.
    According to the city, more investors, including Americans and Israelis, were interested in the land around the multipurpose sports hall. However, the economic crisis came, and Euro Mall FM was reportedly the only one who remained. According to Pobucký, the investor will now prepare documentation for the zoning decision, the building permit for the new hall, and the multifunctional center, and will begin preparing a new demolition order. The city will then announce a public competition for the construction of the hockey hall.