Brno will probably address the construction of garages under the Vegetable Market again

Brno - The Brno city council may revisit the controversial construction of garages under the Zelný trh (Vegetable Market) in Brno. The Greens want to bring this issue to the council meeting. According to them, the councilors did not have important information available when they previously supported the plan. The Green Party stated this in a press release today.
    The construction is one of the controversial building plans in Brno. Its opponents fear damage to the appearance of the square, the stability of the Baroque fountain Parnas, and the historical system of corridors and cellars.
    The company Magnum Real Estate wants to build underground parking in the square. Several dozen parking spaces are intended to serve the residents of the nearby apartments as well as guests of the under-construction hotel. The city councilors agreed to a simplified zoning process at a meeting in mid-July. However, according to Deputy Mayor Martin Ander (SZ), the councilors lacked basic documents, including opinions from the municipal departments. "Furthermore, the investor is now supplementing and modifying the documentation at the request of municipal officials," he added.
    According to councilor Jana Drápalová (SZ), the councilors were misled due to outdated information. "It is necessary to rectify this and withdraw the issued statement," she stated.
    The councilors supported the construction because it aligns with the city council's intention to remove most parked cars from the surface of the square. The number of cars parking at the Zelný trh was also mentioned as one of the main shortcomings of the square by people in the survey. Therefore, after the planned reconstruction, only a fraction of parking spaces will remain on the surface. The underground garages could replace them.
    According to the Greens, it is necessary to create satisfactory living conditions, including parking, in the city center to prevent depopulation of the urban core. However, according to Ander, underground parking cannot be built at the expense of historical values. "I consider the objections of the authors of the regulatory plan, architects (Josef) Němec and (Jiří) Mikšík, regarding the underground garage project to be serious and I will have the project's compliance with the regulatory plan carefully verified," Ander added.
    Part of the public opposes the garages; the civic association Brnění started collecting signatures this week for a petition to reject the construction. "In contrast to the European-wide trend of removing automobile traffic from historical city centers, Brno would take a completely opposite direction by supporting this project," the association stated in a press release.
    Opponents of the construction are also organizing on the social network Facebook. An initiative called I Do Not Agree with the Creation of Underground Garages at the Zelný trh in Brno has nearly 1400 supporters there.