The office has chosen a new tenant for the Karlín barracks courtyard

Prague – The Office for the Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) has selected a new tenant for the yard of the empty barracks in Prague's Karlín, where a social and cultural center is currently operating. This is likely to come to an end, however, the new tenant plans to use the premises in a similar way. This was reported by Deník N. The area is owned by the state, but Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) recently stated that it will be transferred to the capital city, which could build apartments or university dormitories there.

"An auction took place, and there were two interested parties. The winner offered 145,000 CZK per month. He will now be required to provide the necessary documents and sign the lease agreement," stated the spokesman for the office, Radek Ležatka, to Deník N. According to information from the newspaper, the winner of the auction is Ondřej Kučera, who previously worked as an operations manager at the Žižkov Freight Station and operated the Altenburg 1964 boat in Prague's Holešovice.

Since 2017, the area has been home to the Prague Center association, which has created, among other things, a gallery, a dance school, a cultural club with a bar, and a daytime café in the foyer of the former army swimming pool. According to ÚZSVM spokesman Radek Ležatka, after signing the contract with the new tenant, the current one will have three months to restore the area to its original condition.

In addition to the yard, the lease concerns a smaller building that previously served as support for the barracks. Matěj Velek from the association previously stated that the Prague Center has invested three million crowns in the repair of the building and further modifications over three years. Spokesman Ondřej Slíš told Deník N that the center will now consult the next steps with a lawyer.

The center had the space on a free loan and did not participate in the new tender, stating that the conditions would not allow the continuation of the current concept. "It is not possible to continue with the free loan, as the Prague Center operates commercial activities here (bar, café, sauna, concerts, and others), which is contrary to the law on state property," Ležatka told ČTK.

The leadership of the capital city has expressed interest in the building of the barracks in the context of negotiations regarding property exchanges between the municipality and the state. The city's leadership is now discussing the possibility of building student housing there.

The Ministry of Defense has previously attempted to sell the barracks repeatedly, most recently for approximately 620 million crowns. In 2016, the building was taken over by the Ministry of Justice, and then Minister Robert Pelikán (formerly of ANO) planned to renovate it and establish a judicial palace there. However, the plan fell through.

The historic object of the Karlín barracks dates back to the 19th century and was used for military purposes during both Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. The main building was constructed between 1844 and 1845 and was named Ferdinand Barracks. In 1920, the building was renamed the Barracks of Jan Žižka of Trocnov. In the second half of the 20th century, various units and facilities of the Prague military garrison were located in the building, such as the garrison band, military police, headquarters, or infirmary. The barracks building has been a protected monument since 1958.