The auction of the barracks in Olomouc has no winner, the state will negotiate with UP

Olomouc – No winner emerged from the electronic auction for the sale of the Hanácká barracks in Olomouc. The auction began on Wednesday and ended today, but the sole interested party did not make a bid. The Office for State Representation in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) will now negotiate the sale of the barracks with Palacký University, which has expressed interest in the extensive property in the center. Michaela Tesařová, spokeswoman for ÚZSVM, said this in response to a query from ČTK today. The Hanácká barracks were used by the army for 170 years and have been empty since 2013. According to the Ministry of Defence, further use for state officials would be more costly than selling it and potentially building a new administrative headquarters.

"Today's round of the selection procedure with the electronic auction for the unique Hanácká barracks unfortunately did not bring a winner. One interested party registered for the electronic auction, in which the minimum price was set at 262 million crowns, and submitted the required deposit within the stipulated time, however, no bid was placed during the auction," Tesařová stated, noting that only one person registered for the electronic auction.

According to Tesařová, foreign investors and also Palacký University in Olomouc expressed interest in the Hanácká barracks. The university would use the property for the Faculty of Health Sciences and other projects and has shown interest in a direct purchase of the campus. ÚZSVM will propose the price announced in the first round of the selection process, which is 262 million crowns.

"Negotiations regarding the possible sale of the campus to the university are scheduled for next week. We believe we will be able to find a definitive owner for this exceptional historic campus in the center of Olomouc, who will find a meaningful use for it and breathe new life into it," Tesařová noted.

The building has over 2,000 square meters of office space. Initially, it was considered that hundreds of state office workers, who are currently located in several places in Olomouc, would move in there. This option was dismissed; according to experts, it would be less advantageous for the state than selling it. The government approved the proposal for the sale of the barracks last autumn. Documents for the government indicate that the sale could bring the state a quarter of a billion. In contrast, the reconstruction of the heritage-protected building is estimated to cost about 815 million crowns. According to the submission report for the government, most of the rooms in the Hanácká barracks are not suitable for offices due to their high ceilings and shape.

The potential construction of a new administrative headquarters in Olomouc is estimated to cost 575 million. Employees of state organizations, which are currently housed in rented spaces or in state buildings with expensive operations, are expected to move into it. In 2014, the Olomouc region showed interest in the building of the Hanácká barracks, wanting to have storage for a museum and library, offices for organizations managing European subsidies, and a store for regional food products. The regional government ultimately abandoned the plan.