Brno will demolish the winter stadium this year and build a public skating rink next to it

Brno - The city of Brno will demolish the dilapidated winter stadium at Lužánky this year and will begin building an open recreational ice rink nearby, which will serve the public. The city council's intention was approved by the representatives at today's meeting. The project will cost the city treasury about 100 million crowns. According to Mayor Roman Onderka, the demolition of the stadium and the construction of the ice rink are the first steps towards revitalizing the once-bustling Ponava sports complex, which is expected to culminate in the reconstruction of the football stadium.
    Although the item on the city council's agenda was labeled as the construction of an ice rink, its more significant part is the demolition of the stadium, where Brno's hockey players had many successes years ago. For many years, it has been in a state of disrepair and no longer serves its original purpose. The stadium was built on poorly compacted fill. The iron structures have been damaged by the uneven gradual settling of the building.
    "Given the exhaustion of the lifespan of the structures, a costly reconstruction seems uneconomical," states the rationale for the council's resolution.
    The city plans to level the entire structure. It will sell the steel constructions as scrap, use the debris for partial filling of the resulting construction pit, and level the terrain. Only part of the former changing rooms will remain standing, which will later serve as facilities for the new ice rink.
    The resulting free space will be offered by the city to investors. "We believe that potential investors will be attracted by how large the area is available after the stadium is demolished," said the mayor. In the past, there were discussions about building a parking garage or a sports facility.
    The new public ice rink could serve people starting in the autumn of 2009. It is only necessary to remove the invasive vegetation, level the concrete surface, and install cooling systems. "The rink will be mobile, so it can be relocated if an investor is found who wants to use the land under the winter stadium and its surroundings,” Onderka said.
    The extensive area behind Lužánky also includes a football stadium that has been out of operation for years. The city has already commissioned architects to develop a reconstruction project, which is estimated to cost about a billion crowns. In the autumn, the designers are expected to present their proposal. Behind Lužánky, there is also the Boby Hotel, a swimming stadium, and other facilities.