The office issued a zoning decision for the new house on Wenceslas Square

Prague - The Building Authority of Prague 1 has issued a new zoning decision for the building at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Opletalova Street. The document published on the official bulletin board of Prague 1 is the first necessary step for the commencement of construction. It is possible to appeal against it within 15 days. The first zoning decision for the building was obtained in 2013, the magistrate, as the appeals body, annulled it last year and returned it to the office for repeated discussion.

On the site of the planned construction stands a building remodeled in 1920 according to the design of architect Bohumír Kozák. A portion of the public and experts opposed its demolition. The investor, Flow East, also plans to utilize the neighboring land of the former printing houses, after which there has been a hole in Opletalova Street for several years. The L-shaped building is set to have nine above-ground and three underground floors. The last two floors will be recessed, and the building will have a flat roof.

To build the new house, the owner needs, in addition to a demolition permit for the current building, the zoning decision and subsequently the building permit. Participants in the proceedings, such as civic associations or owners of neighboring plots, can appeal against them.

After issuing the first zoning decision in 2013, the magistrate stated that the decision of the building authority was contrary to building regulations because it involved preserving the facade of the former printing houses, which no longer exist.

The preservation of the non-existent remains, however, remains one of the conditions set by the building authority in the new decision. According to its current decision, the project documentation for the building permit must include "a detailed solution for the incorporation and design of the existing remains of the street facade of the building at Opletalova 3 in relation to the facade of the new building."

Flow East has owned the building since 1994. According to the company, the costs of the project, including the purchase of the land and building, amount to a billion crowns. Concerns about possible demands for compensation for thwarted investment are, among other things, repeatedly cited by the ministry as the reason why the building was not declared a cultural monument.

In 2013, the building authority approved the demolition, but the magistrate also annulled this decision. A petition against the demolition was drawn up, and there have been several demonstrations against the destruction of the building. Some experts also disagree with it.