From the barracks in the Pardubice Region, there are production halls and apartments

Pardubice - The former barracks in the towns of the Pardubice Region have found use in recent years. They provide space for manufacturing and storage halls, and are also used for accommodation. Finding a purpose for them has not been without complications. The barracks in Pardubice are still waiting for their application, as found out in a survey by ČTK.

Pardubice already owns the majority of Masaryk Barracks. They acquired them through a free transfer from the state. They are likely to buy several last buildings from the ministry for six million crowns by the end of the year. The city hall wants to own the strategic location in its entirety. It is suitable for residential development, for example.

For several years, the Pardubice city hall has been planning to sell a part of the former Hůrka barracks, where it wants an investor to build apartment buildings. The representatives cannot agree on the price, and some are bothered by the fact that the investor would acquire the land before building the apartments. "In the fall, Hůrka will go to the city council again. The investor is said to have gained a partner, and no longer needs a mortgage on the land for a bank loan. And we want to be sure that the apartments will be built," said Deputy Mayor Jan Řehounek to ČTK.

Dašice in the Pardubice region is now trying to find tenants for part of the barracks. They acquired them from the state in 2005. Currently, they are half occupied. Some time ago, the large space was vacated by Wolters Packaging Czech.

The company built its own warehouses in Kostěnice; until then, the barracks were 90 percent occupied, said Deputy Mayor Jaroslav Foldyna to ČTK.

Part of the area is used for business, one building for social housing, and the city operates a waste collection site there. The Deputy Mayor states that the rents only cover the costs of repairs, and the benefit for the city is the job opportunities offered.

"Acquiring the barracks was definitely advantageous for the city. We practically rented everything. Only buildings with ecological burdens were demolished," said the former mayor of Dašice, Ladislav Racek.

Vysoké Mýto in the Orlickoústecko region received the buildings free of charge from the state after the departure of the Soviet army. Some buildings were demolished by the new owners while others were reconstructed or modified. New spaces were acquired by commercial companies, as well as schools and social facilities.

"Although some buildings have changed owners over the past 20 years, it has not happened that they remained unused afterward. Currently, we are preparing an architectural competition for a proposal on the use of the last space, which is a public area near Albert and close to the Dragoon Barracks," said Mayor František Jiraský.

On the other hand, disputes over the former Dragoon Barracks in Mýto were prolonged. The city did not like the way the reconstruction was being carried out by the Coreso company. According to city hall spokesperson Marie Lněničková, relations have calmed down over the past two years. "The city and the company found compromises that allowed for completion and subsequent operation in the reconstructed building," she stated.

Přelouč sought a buyer for the barracks for several years and eventually lowered the price. Three years ago, they sold them to a private company, and they are now used for business. In Žamberk in the Orlickoústecko region, a smaller industrial zone with about 150 employees operates in the former barracks. The city auctioned the land in the past and established engineering networks with the help of subsidies. However, the frontal part of the zone remained unused.

"The city transferred the land for one crown so that the businessman could build a five-star hotel. He carried out demolitions and then did not proceed with the project. The area is not very visually appealing," said Mayor Jiří Dytrt.