In Litvínov, they are demolishing a panel building; in its place, there will be a park

Litvínov – Dozens of residents from the Janov district in Litvínov, Mostecko, watched today as one of the dilapidated apartment buildings from the 1970s was brought down. The demolition is expected to last about a month, with preparations for the tearing down beginning in the second half of April with the removal of municipal waste from the building. The city's expenditure for the project is eight million crowns. The city hall plans to create a park in its place. This was stated to journalists today by city spokeswoman Jitka Pavlíková.

"Part of the rubble will be used to fill in the basements, and the area will be recultivated to become a recreational leisure space, simply a classic park," she said. The city has decided to demolish this building along with three other eight-story buildings because they are already beyond repair and pose safety and hygiene risks. "This will be one of the first steps to restart the housing estate," the spokeswoman said. The demolition of additional buildings is planned for around September.

Head of demolition Roman Tureček told reporters today that the more challenging part was the preparation for the demolition itself. "Utility networks had to be disconnected, and a lot of municipal and bulky waste had to be cleared out," Tureček said.

The buildings are being demolished with demolition scissors with blades that cut through steel in concrete. "We need to start from the top side, and we will carry it out from top to bottom using a retreat method," the supervisor stated. The scissors will bring down the building up to the second floor, and a smaller machine will be used for the remaining two floors.

The remaining construction debris will be utilized. Some will fill the basements, and some will be used in other constructions. To prevent anyone from stealing anything from the site, it is fenced off. "There will be a patrol walking through regularly to check for any gaps in the fence," Tureček added.

The Janov housing estate was built in the 1970s as modern housing primarily for residents of villages that vanished due to coal mining. In the 1990s, the city sold the apartment buildings during privatization, and new owners began moving problematic tenants into them.