In Dobříš, the demolition of the former cinema has begun, and it will be replaced by a park

Dobříš – Demolition of the former cinema, which is in a state of disrepair, began this week in Dobříš in the Příbram region. A park will be created on its site. The demolition work is expected to end in early April, after which landscaping will follow. The city plans to plant shrubs, create paths, and install benches and simple furniture, city deputy Tomáš Vokurka (ODS) said today to ČTK.

Demolition work started on Monday; this week, the equipment should remove the upper part of the building, after which the foundations will be tackled. The demolition of the building and the creation of the park will cost the city approximately three million crowns.

The city originally wanted to convert the unused building from the 1950s into a library with community activities, but eventually abandoned that plan. According to Mayor Pavel Svoboda (For Dobříš), the project proved to be unrealistic and financially too demanding. Svoboda pointed out that the decision to demolish the building was made based on an engineer's assessment as early as 2017. Current city leadership has simply leaned towards the radical solution that awaited the building anyway, he said.

According to Vokurka, the demolition will resolve a long-term problem that has troubled the broader center of the city. However, the city hall also received negative feedback. "I can understand them, as we, as the city's leadership, also perceive a certain genius loci of this building. I understand that it is not easy to say goodbye to a place where many locals experienced their first date," Vokurka stated.

The Dobříš cinema began screening films in December 1951, but started to stagnate by the end of the 20th century, and the condition of the underutilized building worsened. It was closed in 2003, and by 2010 there were several restaurant operators in the building.