Plzeň will announce a competition for the design of the development where a department store was to be built

photo: Google Maps

Plzeň - Plzeň will announce a public competition next Monday for the layout of a controversial area where the developer Amádeus Real wanted to build the shopping complex Corso Americká for 2.5 billion crowns. A year ago, it was rejected by a referendum, and the town hall thus has to prevent the construction of the shopping center on the site of the demolished cultural house. The investor announced last week that he is ending the project. He will apparently sue the city. The city council has already approved the competition conditions, and the representatives will confirm it on Thursday. CTK was informed by technical deputy mayor Petr Rund (ODS).
    The submission period for competition proposals will be from April 25 to 30. The judging panel will meet on May 13 and 14, and the experts' opinion on the area’s concept should be published the day after.
    The architectural-urban competition will be announced for a broader area, which includes not only the 2.4 hectares originally designated for the construction of Corso Americká but also plots up to the district court. "It will propose solutions for the area Americká - Nádražní - U Jána junction - Denisovo quay with an emphasis on urban structure and the delineation of public spaces. The principles of spatial arrangement will be reflected in the new urban plan," said Rund. It will be completed in 2016, two years later than the city hall had planned.
    The winner of the competition must resolve the structure of development and public spaces as well as connections to the surrounding area. Furthermore, it must respect any territorial decisions and reflect the needs of the owners.
    Amádeus Real decided last Thursday to terminate the Corso Americká project in Plzeň. According to its legal representative Jan Petřík, the reason is uncertainty in the city's approach and the constantly changing attitudes towards the investment, which have currently resulted in the suspension of the territorial proceedings. The investor has invested hundreds of millions of crowns into the project, which he will demand from the city, along with a share of lost profits and money for the thwarted investment.
    The sale of the 2.4-hectare plot owned by Amádeus is still at stake. The town hall would pay a maximum of 270 million crowns for it, but to purchase it, they would have to have a clear idea of its use as a good manager; the investor proposed 500 million crowns last year. "The city, with its approach, is well on its way to making the void left by the cultural house a long-term dominant feature of Americká Street," said Petřík. The bare land currently partly functions as a parking lot.
    Plzeň has already selected the law firm Kocián, Šolc, Balaštík, which will represent it in the anticipated long-term court dispute with the developer. The appeal against the selection of lawyers is still being addressed by the antitrust office. The winning firm will sign a contract with the city for three years. The town hall will allocate two million crowns annually for legal services.