From the parking garage in Brno, the builders demolished the upper floor

Brno - The construction workers have demolished the upper floor of the first parking garage in Brno, located at the corner of Moravské náměstí and Kounicova, and continue with partial demolition. This is expected to finish in November, and by the end of October next year, offices will be built in place of the removed parts of the building, said Radovan Majnuš, the real estate management director of Imos facility, to ČTK. Parking will remain only in the basement and on seven above-ground floors, as parking itself was not profitable for the owner, Imos facility. Several parking garages have been created around the center of Brno, and more are under construction.

Currently, parking in Rozmarýn is not possible; after the demolition is completed, the underground levels and five above-ground floors will reopen. The owner made this decision because the capacity was not being filled, and he expects higher profits from offices. "In December, we will gradually reveal what the offices will look like. So far, we are in the phase of initial discussions with potential interested parties," said Majnuš.

The part of the building with offices will be the same height as the parking garage was. Additionally, the investor wants to conceal the upper floor inside the building and surround it with a terrace. "New elevators and a new entrance will be created in the building to separate the operations of the administrative part from the parking area, but these sections will be interconnected. A café and shops will return to the ground floor," mentioned Majnuš.

The situation is paradoxical in that Rozmarýn was the first parking garage that was supposed to contribute to the gradual decrease of parked cars on the streets of the center of Brno about ten years ago. However, parking is still mostly free in the streets around the historical center, so drivers do not utilize paid parking as much. The usual price in Brno is 30 crowns per hour, while Rozmarýn charged 25 crowns.

In recent years, underground garages have opened near the Janáček Theatre, the city built a building on Kopečná Street, and garages are under construction on Besední and Panenská Streets, which amounts to a capacity of several hundred spaces. Officials, together with politicians, have been preparing a sustainable mobility plan for several years, which also includes residential parking in the wider center and restrictions on surface parking spaces. The first real step is the introduction of paid parking in the streets of the center for non-residents until 10:00 PM instead of the current 6:00 PM. Otherwise, the situation has not changed in any way over the past years.