The construction of the stadium in Hradec Králové is being delayed by the selection of the project manager

Hradec Králové - The construction of the football stadium in Hradec Králové will face further delays due to complications in selecting the construction manager. The winner of the competition for the management has withdrew from the contract, and the city is now considering whether to accept the significantly more expensive offer from the second bidder. The coalition of ANO, ODS, and Změna pro Hradec is also not united in the next steps. The announcement of the fourth tender for the construction of the stadium will likely be postponed from the original June to the end of August, as stated by city representatives today. The city has been preparing the construction of the football arena on the site of the unsatisfactory multi-sports stadium for over 15 years.

The tender for the management of the construction was won by IKO INVEST with a price of 7.8 million crowns excluding VAT. However, in April, they withdrew from the contract. The city then began negotiations with Arcadis, which offered the second-best price of 31.8 million crowns excluding VAT. According to the city administration, the manager's fee is part of the budget for the actual construction of the stadium, with a maximum amount of 605 million crowns excluding VAT. The construction manager will prepare and control the tender documentation for the competition and oversee and coordinate the actual construction.

The city council today approved the selection of Arcadis, but the final decision was postponed to the city councilors, who will meet at the end of June. "Since this involves public funds and the offer of the next bidder is higher compared to the lowest bid and the original assumptions, we decided that we would submit this matter to the council," said Mayor Alexandr Hrabálek (ODS) explaining why the city council did not decide on its own today.

Four opposition parties in the council, as well as the coalition Změna pro Hradec, opposed awarding the contract to Arcadis. They are primarily unhappy with the price increase. In a letter to the mayor today, the parties labeled Arcadis’s offer as overpriced and urged the mayor to let the council make a decision on the matter.

The coalition parties ODS and ANO do not have a majority in the council, holding 16 out of 37 votes. Změna pro Hradec has three votes.

According to Deputy Mayor for Investments Jiří Bláha (ODS), the city is continuing to prepare the tender for the construction company. "We will present the decision to announce a public competition for the supplier of the football stadium at the council meeting on August 31," Bláha stated.

A fundamental change compared to previous tenders will be that the city will issue the contract using the Design and Build method, meaning design and construction. The city will specify its requirements for the size and functions of the stadium. The selected contractor will then design and build the stadium. According to Bláha, the stadium should meet UEFA category 4 standards, which are for international matches. For example, the stadium's capacity should be at least 8,000 seats. The city will also want the stadium to meet the requirements for a multifunctional arena.