The ice sports area in Prague 11 should be completed in 2022

Prague - The ice sports complex currently being built near the Ke Kateřinkám elementary school in Prague 11 is expected to be completed by September 2022. The completion date has already been postponed several times. The construction of the sports facility, which the city district is involved in, should be approximately 30 million cheaper after optimization, said Anna Kočicová, spokesperson for Prague 11, to ČTK. Last year, it was estimated that the complex would be built for 222 million crowns.

"The ice sports complex will cost 190 million crowns because the project was optimized. The price is influenced by changes in materials and other components. The prolonged construction period is primarily due to negotiations about the loan, which were extended due to the coronavirus pandemic," said Kočicová.

Preparations for the construction began in 2014 by the private investor, AR Delta. Construction work started in early 2019 with the expectation that the project would cost AR Delta around 120 million crowns and be completed by mid-2020. The city hall provided the company with land for construction free of charge, and the investor was supposed to build the sports facility at their own expense. However, they subsequently requested co-financing from the Prague magistrate. The magistrate refused to become a direct partner in the project. Therefore, since last year, Prague 11, along with ALS Investors, is a shareholder in AR Delta, whose goal is to build and operate the ice sports complex.

Prague 11 holds a 50% stake in AR Delta. An eight-member board of directors oversees operations, chaired by the deputy mayor of Prague 11, Martin Sedeke (ODS). The city district purchased shares in the company for five million crowns, for which it received a grant from the Prague magistrate. An additional 35 million crowns were obtained by the city hall from Prague as an interest-free loan to increase the company's capital. The eleventh city district secures the 150 million crowns loan for the bank with the building rights.

According to the mayor of Prague 11, Jiří Dohnal (Pirates), the operation of the ice sports complex will systematically address the issue of school sports. The contract between the shareholders guarantees one hour of free skating daily for schoolchildren during the school year. The remaining hours are designated for school facilities, the public, and organized sports activities. The sports facility is expected to serve around 170,000 people annually. The larger hall will have an ice rink for public skating or hockey, while the smaller hall is designed with four curling lanes. The central tract will include changing rooms and a gym, with plans for a restaurant as well.

The participation of the city district in the project and the city hall's involvement in the construction financing has been criticized by the local opposition. Opposition councilors from the Movement for Prague 1 opposed it, as did councilors from other opposition parties such as South City - Our Home and SPD.

In South City, a coalition of Pirates, ANO, ODS, TOP 09, and STAN governs. The city district, which has 77,600 residents, includes the cadastral areas of Chodov and Háje.