In the Zbrojovka complex in Brno, the first company is located in a renovated building

Brno – The first company has moved into the first office building in the area of the former Brno Zbrojovka. It is the company Axians, which operates in information technology. In September, the ticket seller Kiwi.com was supposed to follow, but due to the coronavirus epidemic, it will only start moving in November. The developer CPI Property Group, which is gradually revitalizing the 22-hectare area, wants to have the rental of the remaining spaces secured by the end of the year, said Miroslav Pekník, the director of development for Brno, to reporters during the ceremonial opening today.

The former tool shop building in the eastern part of the area is one of the few that has not been demolished but renovated. It is now called ZET Office and offers 16,000 m² of office space for rent. Around it, a parking lot, a relaxation zone, and playgrounds have been created. These are temporary structures, as the building is in a brownfield where significant demolition is taking place, Pekník stated.

A new road connects the entrance from Lazaretní with the entrance at Gargulákova in the area. There are barriers at both ends to prevent people from cutting through.

The developer is gradually demolishing dozens of buildings, preserving only a few. However, construction cannot begin until the new zoning plan is approved, as the current zoning plan only permits manufacturing spaces. "However, this does not significantly delay us. We are preparing the land, utilities, and documentation so we can immediately start building," Pekník said. According to the building law, the zoning plan must begin to take effect by 2022, which is the year the Brno management is counting on. "But it is already clear how the area will roughly look, and we have agreed on this with the city," Pekník said.

In the first phase, construction will take place in the southern part after the issuance of the zoning plan, where approximately 40,000 m² of office space and 400 apartments will be created on four hectares. "We will continue to adjust the plans according to what the market demands at the time. The complete development should take ten to twelve years from the issuance of the zoning plan," Pekník said. Approximately 50,000 m² of offices, apartments, and other spaces should appear on the market annually.

A wide thirty-meter boulevard will cross the area, which will include a road, green belt, separate bike paths, green belt, and wide sidewalks, with public transportation running along it. A community center will be created in the central part from the former boiler room around the chimney. Along the Svitava River, the developer will hand over land to the city for flood protection measures and a riverside cycling path. "We have also agreed with the city that at a certain stage, we will build a school and a kindergarten, as well as playgrounds, because families will be moving here," Pekník said.