Representatives of Prague 3 discussed the future of the Žižkov railway station

Prague - Today, the representatives of Prague 3 discussed the future of the Žižkov Freight Station. The opposition attempted to persuade the city council leadership to change its stance on the demolition of the station building. After more than three hours of deliberation, the representatives did not adopt any resolutions.
    The dispute regarding the Žižkov station primarily revolves around the historic functionalist building. The site is intended by developers for a capacity road, the Jarov Connector, which is supposed to lead to Olšanská Street.
    At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Culture declared the building a cultural monument. Its owner, České dráhy, has appealed against the decision. A final verdict is expected in the coming weeks. The city district, along with České dráhy and the construction company Sekyra Group, opposes the designation of the building as a cultural monument. They fear that there will be insufficient funds for its maintenance, and it will be occupied by homeless people. The civic association "Tady není developerovo" and some experts disagree with the city council.
    Both the opposition and the coalition invited experts on architecture to the meeting. While some believe that the building does not hold great value, others consider it to be historically very valuable. "For industrial monuments, it has the same value as the National Theatre in its category," noted the chairwoman of the Club for Old Prague, Kateřina Bečková.
    The speakers could not agree on whether the station building obstructs the construction of the Jarov Connector. According to Luděk Sekyra, chairman of the board of Sekyra Group, if the building is preserved, the road cannot be built. Some architects disagreed, stating that there are other possible solutions.
    The opposition proposed several resolutions calling for the preservation of the building. However, none were able to be passed. In the end, the representatives did not approve even the resolution proposed by Deputy Mayor Tomáš Kalousek (TOP 09), which confirmed the current stance of the city council. Thus, the resolution from the previous council meeting remains in effect.
    The station area is planned to be redeveloped by Žižkov Station Development, owned by České dráhy and Sekyra Group. The area is primarily intended for residential buildings, but office or commercial spaces are also planned. Another part of the area is intended to be developed by the company Discovary Group.