The committee supported the acquisition of the change in the plan for the new district in Letňany

Prague – Prague is likely to begin preparing a change to the zoning plan, necessary for the development near the Letňany metro station. Today, this was recommended by the Prague Committee for Regional Development, with final approval of the changes being done by the city council. In the new district, buildings for state officials, apartments, and even a hospital are being considered in collaboration with the city and the state. Previously, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) and Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) clashed over the state's plan to build a complex for officials there. Both sides are now finalizing a memorandum of cooperation.

"This is just a very rough draft that still needs to be supported by a spatial study," said Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (for TOP 09) regarding the proposal. He added that a multifunctional district with buildings of a maximum of five stories and a reserve for a new modern hospital is to be created on the land. "It is a very cultivated development that will be prepared for many years, and certainly, the specifics of the state project will also be refined," he said.

If the proposal is approved by the councilors, the city could have a draft change ready for approval in March 2022, according to Hlaváček. The city will simultaneously begin preparing a background study to define the exact form of construction. "The approval of the proposal will kick off the work on the study," said Hlaváček. The development area of Letňany - Kbely also includes private land, where the PPF group plans to build a new district on the site of the current sports airport, and the Avia Letňany site is also expected to undergo transformation.

The state's interest in building on the land was again confirmed at today's meeting by the head of the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) Kateřina Arajmu. According to her, the prepared memorandum between the state and the city stipulates that the completion of the northern part of the outer ring road and an increase in railway capacity will be conditions for construction. At the same time, the state commits to give the city 60 billion for the construction of the inner ring road. Arajmu added that administrative buildings for the offices will be located between Kbelská and Beladova streets, thereby creating a sound barrier for the rest of the district.

Arajmu further stated that the memorandum is not finalized, and representatives of the city and the state are still negotiating four contentious points. She added that if the memorandum is signed, the city land should be transferred to the state within a year. For the actual preparation of the project and construction, the state estimates 13 to 15 years, according to Arajmu.

The mayors of Kbely Pavel Žďárský (ODS), Letňany Zdeněk Kučera (ANO), and Prague 9 Tomáš Portlík (ODS) complained at the meeting that they were seeing the proposal for land use for the first time and that the city had not consulted with them. Hlaváček responded that with the approval of the proposal, work would start on the final version of the study and subsequent changes, to which representatives of the city districts would be invited.

Mayor Hřib stated that the city takes into account the opinions of the city districts when changing the zoning plan. According to him, representatives of the city hall and the city districts will meet regarding the Letňany area on Thursday. He added that nothing is definitively approved, and the committee's opinion is advisory.

In the past, Prime Minister Babiš urged the city hall leadership to transfer its land in Letňany to the state for the construction of a complex for thousands of state officials. The city resisted this, Hřib rejected the idea of an "officials' ghetto," and conditioned the transfer of land to the state on several conditions, such as financial contributions for the completion of the city ring road. This was followed by negotiations that are still ongoing, involving exchanges of buildings and land between the city and the state.