Plzeň announced a competition for the development of the area where a department store was to be located

photo: Google Maps

Plzeň - Plzeň today announced a public competition for the design of the development of the area where developer Amádeus Real wanted to build the Corso Americká commercial complex for 2.5 billion crowns. A year ago, a referendum rejected it, and the city hall must now oppose the building of the shopping center on the site of the demolished culture house. The investor recently announced that they were abandoning the project. The deadline for submitting competition designs will be from April 25 to April 30, said Irena Vostracká, head of the concept and development department, to ČTK.
    The jury will meet on May 13 and 14, and the experts' opinion on the area concept should be published a day later. "Qualified architects from the Czech Republic and other EU countries can submit designs," she stated.
    The architectural-urban design competition will be announced for a larger area than the 2.4 hectares originally designated for the construction of Corso Americká. It will propose a solution for the area Americká - Nádražní - intersection U Jána - Denisovo waterfront, emphasizing urban structure and defining public spaces. "Emphasis is placed on urban structure and defining public spaces; the result of the competition will be reflected in the proposal for the new territorial plan of Plzeň," the director said. It will be completed in 2016, two years later than the city hall had planned. The winner of the competition must also address public spaces, connections to the surrounding area, respect any potential territorial decisions, and reflect the needs of property owners.
    Amádeus Real decided a few days ago to terminate the Corso Americká project in Plzeň. According to its legal representative, Jan Petřík, the reason is the uncertainty in the city's approach and the constantly changing attitudes towards the investment, which resulted in the suspension of the territorial proceedings. The investor has invested hundreds of millions of crowns in the project, which it will demand back from the city, as well as part of the lost profit and compensation for the thwarted investment.
    The sale of the 2.4-hectare plot owned by Amádeus is still on the table. The city hall would pay a maximum of 270 million CZK for it, but it would need to have clarity about its use; the investor proposed 500 million CZK last year. "The city, with its approach, is on the best path for the gap left by the culture house to become one of the landmarks of Americká Street for a long time," Petřík said. The plot today partly serves as a parking lot.
    Plzeň has already selected the law firm Kocián, Šolc, Balaštík, which will represent it in the expected long-term legal dispute with the developer. The appeal against the selection of the lawyers is still being addressed by the antimonopoly office. The winning firm will sign a contract with the city for three years. The city hall will allocate two million crowns for legal services each year.