In Brno, a complex of apartments with shops and cafes will be built for billions

Brno - In Brno, near Mendel Square, five buildings with 350 apartments, shops, and cafes will be constructed, along with children's playgrounds as part of the development. A private investor intends to build it for billions of crowns in about five years, said architect Tomáš Pilař from the office Kuba & Pilař architekti, which is working on the project for the developer. The investor is a company called Mendel Plaza, backed by an investment group. The collection of buildings, named after the company, will be located on a brownfield site of the former Kras clothing company between Veletržní, Rybářská, Křížová, and Bělidla streets.

Brno city councilors have approved documentation for the zoning decision of the project. "Besides apartments, shops, cafes, and restaurants, there will also be pedestrian promenades and public spaces with children's playgrounds. We are watching it with great hope. We are not pleased that the area in Old Brno is a huge brownfield," said Deputy Mayor Martin Ander (SZ), who is responsible for city development.

According to him, the city appreciates that a private owner wants to revitalize the area. "They want to create a piece of the city. Those who live there know that there is a lack of places for entertainment, cafes, restaurants, and such. It is valuable that the location is connected to public transportation and there is no need to extend tram lines or build special bus routes," said Ander.

According to architect Pilař, the project is worth several billion crowns, as it includes work from engineering networks through communications to the construction of buildings. "It would be ideal to start construction next year. It will be in several phases. In an optimistic scenario, it could be completed in five years from then," added Pilař.

Brno, according to Deputy Mayor Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL), has nearly 30,000 apartments in its ownership, which is about 15 percent of the total number of apartments in Brno. "There is a housing shortage in Brno, so I very much welcome a quality project with housing and revitalization," added Hladík, who is responsible for housing issues.