In H. Brod, the demolition of the panel building that caused issues in the center has begun

Demolished panel building near the historic center

Havlíčkův Brod - In Havlíčkův Brod, the demolition of a four-story panel building began this morning, which has long obstructed passage through the historic Havlíčkova street. According to councilor Libor Honzárek (TOP 09), the first panel building in Vysočina is coming down. This is also likely the first panel building in the Czech Republic that is being removed purely for urban planning reasons.
    The building with 18 apartments on Smetanovo náměstí will be dismantled by the construction company by mid-December, and the debris will be removed. The city hall will pay them 2.8 million crowns for this. "I am really glad that it is coming down. And I think most of us feel that way," Honzárek told ČTK today. He added that there are also people who are weighing whether the costs of demolition and the provision of new apartments for tenants are too high a price for beautifying the city.
    The demolition is progressing quickly. Powerful metal scissors on a long arm of the excavator began crushing the panels from the roof. According to the chief construction manager Karel Dupal from the company ŽSD Modřice, the building could disappear by the end of next week. "For us as a demolition company, this is not a huge demolition. The specifics are more in the location of the building than in its size," he said.
    The panel building from 1982 is located near the notable Havlíčkův house. It occupies a space between two squares, the historic Havlíčkovo and Smetanovo, which is dominated by socialist panel housing.
    Builders must be careful during the demolition to avoid neighboring buildings and the foundation in the area. Forgotten cellars may appear on the plots where old houses once stood. Meanwhile, the demolition excavator weighs 55 tons. The debris is taken to former barracks, where the material will be sorted. According to Dupal, around 90 percent can be recycled. Pieces of panels will be crushed and then reused in construction. "There is a demand for concrete recyclate. Its use in transportation construction is quite broad," he explained.
    Smetanovo náměstí with panel housing was created in the 1970s in the place of a former horse market, where old houses were uniformly demolished. The removal of the problematic panel building near the Havlíčkův house has been discussed at the city hall for several years. The decision was made at the June council meeting. The last tenants moved out during the summer and could choose another city apartment.
    After the building is removed, workers will create a sidewalk on the cleared site connecting to Havlíčkova street, while the remaining area will be grassed over for now. The city hall has not yet decided on the future use of the freed-up land.