Large Meziříčí is preparing an urban design competition for the area near the square, where the factory was located

Velké Meziříčí - The town hall in Velké Meziříčí in the Žďár region is preparing an urban design competition for a three-hectare area adjacent to the square. Architects will propose possible future uses for this location, where a large leather factory, Svit, used to be. The competition could be announced in May, said Mayor Alexandros Kaminaras (independent for Společně VM) to ČTK.

The area by the Balinka River currently serves as a temporary parking lot. The town owns two-thirds of the land, with the remainder owned by a private company. The organization of the competition for the land development plan for Svit has already been approved by the city council.

The competition will cover the entire area, and the brief will not heavily restrict architects. "We can imagine that it will be a recreational area, that it will be a space where buildings can arise with administrative functions, with the possibility of civic amenities, where there could be, for example, starter apartments," noted the mayor. Parking for cars may also be preserved there.

According to the mayor, the proposals obtained should enhance the function of the city's center. "I find it to be a very attractive brief for architects, and we look forward to seeing what comes out of it," he stated. The subsequent transformation of the entire area is expected to be a long-term project according to his assumptions.

Students from the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague have already contemplated possible uses for the land by the square in Velké Meziříčí. An exhibition of thirty designs by future architects was held in the city two years ago. The mayor stated that these works will be included in the competition materials.

The Velké Meziříčí town hall is now finalizing preparations for the reconstruction of the square, which is expected to begin next spring. According to current estimates, it will be an initiative with costs around 150 million crowns.