ZČU will start the reconstruction of the medical faculty this year for up to 200 million CZK

Plzen - The University of West Bohemia in Plzen (ZCU) will start a large-scale reconstruction of the Faculty of Health Studies building this year, costing up to 200 million crowns. The faculty is located in the building of the former general directorate of Plzen's Skoda in Tylova Street, near the city center. This will be the largest investment by the university this year, which has 11,500 students and more than 2,100 employees with an annual budget of over two billion crowns. This was stated by Rector Miroslav Holecek.

"We expect that a call for tenders for the contractor will be announced in spring this year for the reconstruction of Tylova 59. The planned start date for the work is between August and September, and it should be completed by June next year," said university spokeswoman Kamila Kolářová. During the summer holidays in 2018, the entire Faculty of Health Studies is expected to move into the renovated premises, including the part that currently resides at náměstí Odboje 18 in Plzen-Bolevec. The faculty currently has around 800 students and is still expanding.

The planned costs of the reconstruction, including VAT, are up to 200 million crowns. "It is expected that ZCU will contribute 10 to 15 percent. The exact amount will be determined only after the tender process," the spokeswoman stated.

Last year, ZCU already handed over the building at Tylova 18 to the city, which it had on loan. It had the same intention for the building at Husova Street 11, where the Faculty of Economics was located. However, the Plzen city council did not approve the transfer of the building in its December resolution. "We are still legally addressing this, but it seems that the building will remain our property. We would then proceed with renting it out or possibly selling it at some point," stated the rector. The land belongs to the university, and the school received the building as a gift from the city. A similar situation exists with the building at Pětatřicátníků 27, but here the city council approved the return of the building and the purchase of the land.

In addition to the Faculty of Economics, which now has its seat in the campus in Borech, the University of the Third Age also moved out of the building at Husova 11. It relocated to Jungmannova 1 closer to the center, where there is a specialized literature store and a literary café in the corner space of the former gallery. The university will currently use the building on Husova Street as a temporary location for the Faculty of Health Studies during the reconstruction of Tylova 59.

Thus, ZCU will now teach at three locations - in the main campus Zelený trojúhelník in Plzen-Borech, in the city center near the square, and in the former Skoda directorate building.