The investor wants to start the construction of the entertainment center in Jihlava in the fall

JIHLAVA - The investor company CEI Building plans to begin construction of the City Park shopping and entertainment center in Jihlava this September. The project for the complex with shops, restaurants, and a multiplex cinema, costing 1.3 billion crowns, has already been assessed by the regional office in terms of its environmental impact under the Znojemský Bridge. Currently, a zoning process is taking place, which could lead to the issuance of a building permit. The investor hopes to open the center to the public in the summer of 2008.
Heritage conservationists have expressed their objections to the project. They are concerned that the shopping center will be built right next to the road, behind which begins the urban heritage reserve with medieval city walls. According to Martin Jaroš from the development company PSJ Invest, the construction complies with the zoning plan and respects all the basic conditions of the city.
He added that the investor must present a traffic solution for the area and a study of the increased traffic load. According to him, emissions after the start of operations will remain significantly below the maximum permissible level. The area must maintain a biocorridor, bike path, and up to 25 percent of the ground level should consist of recreational greenery. The construction must not obstruct the view of the city core. The building, according to plans, will be about five meters taller than the Znojemský Bridge, which Jaroš claims is less than the original industrial building.
Since December, old buildings from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries have been demolished in the area. "They had no architectural or historical value, and there was no point in continuing to work with them," said architect Tomáš Pilař to ČTK. Dangerous materials, such as asbestos, are being sorted and transported to landfills. The rest will be crushed and used for new construction.
City Park is expected to cover an area of more than 20,000 square meters. The construction will employ 550 workers. The complex will feature 120 retail units. A representative of the company is already negotiating leases with major interested parties. Customers will access the complex via a new roundabout on Brněnská Street, and a parking lot for 900 cars will be available to them. On the roof, a multiplex cinema with at least four screening rooms will be created. "We want to make part of the roof accessible so that people can sit there," stated Pilař. The center is expected to employ 450 people once completed.
The façade will feature strips of greenery that will extend to the roof. "I believe that the way the façade and roof are designed is exceptional - the roof itself becomes a façade," Pilař added. Part of the investment will be secured by foreign funds, with a return expected in 12 to 15 years.