The construction of the football arena in H. Králové is proceeding according to plan, and operating costs are being addressed

Hradec Králové – The construction of the football stadium in Hradec Králové for 568 million crowns excluding VAT is currently proceeding according to plan. Since taking over the construction site on August 2, builders have primarily been engaged in demolition work. The city council is also addressing how costly the operation of the stadium will be after its completion, which is anticipated no later than April 28, 2023. Opposition councilors are requesting access to the documentation of the winning bid. This emerged from the discussion about the stadium's construction progress at today's city council meeting.

The stadium is being built by a consortium of companies Strabag, Geosan Group, and D&D Elektromont. For example, builders have removed concrete structures of seats on the earth mounds around the pitch and demolished the entrance gate. In mid-September, they dismantled four lighting poles, known as "lollipops." After refurbishment, these will be reused for arena lighting.

Opposition councilor Anna Maclová (Coalition for Hradec) asked the city leadership about the cost of operating the stadium after its completion and whether the city would have the funds for it. She did not receive a clear answer. "I took office as deputy and I also asked what the economic assessments are, ..., I have also been investigating that," replied Jiří Bláha (ODS), the mayor's deputy for investments overseeing the stadium project.

Pavel Obermajer from Arcadis Czech Republic, which manages the construction for the city, stated that a cost estimate is currently available, which should be refined by mid-October. He pointed out that alongside expenses, the income generated by the stadium’s multi-purpose usage should also be considered, as it should generate revenue from various activities it can offer. Therefore, according to him, the operation of the stadium might not be unprofitable.

Opposition councilor Martin Hanousek (Greens) requested during the discussion that the city council make the wording of the winning bid public. Bláha stated that Hanousek had access to the bid at the city hall but did not take up the opportunity. Councilor Pavlína Springerová from the opposition Hradec Democratic Club described it as bizarre that only one councilor should have the opportunity to access the winning bid. "It should be in the interest of the city leadership that we all have access to it so that it is transparent," she said. Bláha said he also found Hanousek's individual request to be bizarre. He promised that councilors would have "all available information" accessible on a separate server.

The contract for the Hradec stadium was awarded using the Design and Build method. The planned stadium has a building permit from the past, but the consortium led by Strabag modified the entire project and will now need to obtain a permit for changes before completion from the authorities. Obermajer mentioned that the permit could be issued in February 2022. Meanwhile, builders can work on unaffected areas.

According to the city council, the stadium should meet UEFA category 4 standards, which are for international matches. It should also meet the requirements for a multi-purpose arena. The arena's capacity is expected to be 8,000 spectators with the possibility of increasing it to 9,300 seats. All seats are to be covered.