The auction of the former Skloexport in Liberec has started; at least one interested party has registered

Archive of Jaroslav Zeman, www.liberec-reichenberg.net

Liberec - At 10:00 this morning, an electronic auction began for the long-unused building of the former Skloexport in Liberec. The minimum price was set by the Office for the Representation of the State in Property Affairs (ÚZSVM) at 79,070,900 crowns. At least one interested party registered for the auction and deposited an eight-million-secured bond by midnight on Monday, informed the office spokesperson Michaela Tesařová in response to an inquiry from ČTK. Both the Liberec Region and the city of Liberec previously stated that they would not participate in the auction, which will conclude on Wednesday at 10:00.

"If the required deposit is not made, the electronic auction is automatically canceled. In the case of this exceptional property in Liberec, the auction was not canceled, as at least one interested party submitted the eight-million deposit within the stipulated time. For the auction to yield a winner, it is necessary for bidders to make at least one bid, with the first bid needing to be at least the minimum announced price and subsequent bids must increase the amount by at least 50,000 crowns," added Tesařová.

The seven-story building of Skloexport was built according to the project by architect František Vahala at the corner of Žitavské and 1. máje streets from 1928 to 1930 for the tax and customs administration. The world-famous exporter of Czech glass acquired it during the communist regime, and the company went bankrupt in the second half of the 90s. The state took over the building in 2001, and the last tenants vacated the premises eight years later. All attempts to sell the premises, which have a floor area of 9,357 square meters, ended unsuccessfully.

For years, the building belonged to the General Financial Directorate. It was first offered for sale in August 2008, when a court expert set the minimum price at 84.6 million crowns, but no buyer was found. Selling the premises was unsuccessful in subsequent years as well, with the price gradually decreasing to 45 million crowns. In May 2020, the ÚZSVM took over the building, and according to Tesařová, no state institution expressed interest in the property, which is why the office is seeking a new owner through a transparent electronic auction.

In the past, the city of Liberec showed interest in the building and wanted to acquire it free of charge, but could not reach an agreement with the state. At the beginning of this year, the office offered the building to the city for 67 million crowns, but the city councilors deemed the price too high, as the building is estimated to need renovations costing more than half a billion, so they rejected the purchase. The Liberec Region wanted to take over the building in the spring and adapt it to accommodate up to 500 refugees from the war in Ukraine, but no agreement was reached, and the region's leadership abandoned the plan. According to Governor Martin Půta (Mayors for the Liberec Region), the state should not sell the building but utilize it for its offices.