The Ústí Region will negotiate with the owner of the Schicht Factory building in Ústí

Ústí nad Labem - The Ústí Region will negotiate with the owner of the administrative building of the former Schicht factories in Ústí nad Labem about a possible purchase. The historic building could be used by the regional administration as a document storage facility for now. In February, the owner began demolishing the first part of the buildings of the later Setuza along one of the main streets in the Střekov district. The Ministry of Culture is considering the possibility of declaring the administrative building a state-protected monument. The regional council has tasked Councilor Tomáš Rieger (ODS) with negotiating with the owner.

The fate of the building is not indifferent to the regional council members, they told journalists today. Rieger is tasked with verifying details regarding the size of the building, its technical condition, and security. The councilor for investments must also find out the price for the property, which includes, for example, a decorated cultural hall. The region can only purchase the property at an estimated price or lower, according to the councilors.

The buildings have a reinforced concrete structure, and if they are not structurally compromised, they are suitable for use as storage spaces for depositories or archives, according to the regional council members. There are several organizations in Ústí nad Labem that do not have enough space for storing archival materials, such as the regional and district courts. These organizations could potentially pay rent to the Ústí Region and reduce operating costs, the regional administration stated.

"This is not a purchase yet, but an investigation of possibilities. After the first meeting, the representative of the owner, STZ Development, indicated that negotiations could proceed without problems," said Deputy Governor Jiří Řehák (Allies for the Region).

Whether the building will be declared a monument or not does not play a significant role in the decision-making about the purchase, according to Řehák. "The most important thing is to determine the technical condition, find a use for the property, and subsequently identify a suitable funding title," said Řehák. Part of the region's motivation is respect for tradition. "And then we also received a petition from citizens who want the building, valued for its history and connection to the famous industrial family, to be preserved," stated Deputy Governor Jiří Kulhánek (ODS).

The Schicht factories in Ústí nad Labem were the largest of their kind in Europe at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. After World War II, the Schicht property was nationalized in Czechoslovakia, but the founder's name remained in the company name until 1951. From the Schicht companies, which produced products such as soaps, candles, water glass, and hardened cooking fats, the national enterprise Severočeské tukové závody, today's Setuza, later emerged.

The leadership of the city of Ústí nad Labem has not shown interest in the administrative building of the Schicht factories. Due to the factories, the city opposition called for an extraordinary meeting of the council in February. It did not take place because the coalition did not approve the agenda. Senator and opposition councilor Martin Krsek (FOR Ústí) proposed that the city purchase the administrative building. Mayor Petr Nedvědický (ANO) stated at the time that the city did not have the funds for the purchase or subsequent repairs.