In Liberec, the reconstruction of the swimming stadium has begun for three-quarters of a billion.

Liberec - In Liberec, the reconstruction of the city's swimming stadium worth three quarters of a billion crowns began today with the handover of the construction site. It is expected to be completed by the beginning of November 2026. Mayor Jaroslav Zámečník (Mayors for the Liberec Region) mentioned this at today’s festive construction launch. For the hundred-thousand-strong Liberec, this is the largest investment in sports facilities since the World Ski Championship in 2009.

"If everything goes well, ideally we could be here in two years to take over the finished pool," said the mayor.

The city council has been preparing the reconstruction of the pool for almost ten years, back then estimating costs at around 350 million crowns. This year, the contract was awarded to the company Metrostav DIZ out of six applicants, which offered the lowest price of 748.8 million excluding tax. "The city of Liberec will deduct VAT, so this is the final price for us at this moment," the mayor said today. With VAT, the price would exceed 900 million. The city council intends to pay for the construction from a revolving credit loan, while also seeking three grants amounting to 470 million crowns. "So in the ideal case, the city budget will only need to cover half of the financing in two years," added Zámečník.

The swimming complex at Tržní náměstí, featuring three pools, saunas, a gym, and a pizzeria, was built according to the design of architect Pavel Švancer between 1977 and 1984. It is classified as a cultural monument and is also one of the most used sports facilities in Liberec. Last year, it had over half a million visitors. However, its condition shows that it has not undergone any major repairs in the past 40 years. Important technical facilities are reaching the end of their lifespan, the roof leaks, the glazing of the building is inadequate, and the main pool is leaking. The complex is also set for a significant reconstruction, with only the pizzeria remaining in its current location along with the pools. This chosen approach to modernization has drawn criticism from part of the opposition, which considers it unnecessarily expensive.

Jan Syrůček, the regional director of Metrostav DIZ, believes that the most challenging aspect will probably be maintaining the original visual appearance of the expansive structure. "The character you see here must be preserved. Essentially, it will all come down, and then go back up. This means that only the supporting structure will remain," Syrůček said today. He expects that the company will start demolition work about a month after the construction site is prepared. "It will last approximately until spring next year. Demolition work will conclude with the removal of the building to the supporting structure. Subsequently, we will diagnose the condition of the supporting structure and address the necessary repairs," he said.

During the entire renovation, the complex will remain closed, which will be a major complication for the swimming clubs that use it. They will have to travel to other cities for training. Club representatives are concerned that due to the travel, they will lose a significant portion of their members. "Our commitment still stands that we will ensure or co-finance the travel to other swimming complexes near Liberec for the athletes," said the deputy mayor Adam Lenert (ANO) today. The closure of the complex will also significantly limit access for the public. In Liberec, the only indoor option is the water park at the Babylon Center, which is not designed for swimming. The nearest suitable indoor pool is in Jablonec nad Nisou.