Brno will exchange land with Křetínský's companies for the construction of a train station

Brno - Today, the Brno city councilors approved the exchange of land with companies belonging to entrepreneur Daniel Křetínský. The city needs the land for relocating the railway station from the center one kilometer further south. Křetínský will receive 186 million crowns from the city, and in return, the city-owned company Brněnské komunikace will sell Křetínský lucrative construction land near the future station for 306 million crowns. 30 out of 55 councilors were in favor, and the transaction was supported by the coalition parties ODS, ANO, and SOCDEM.

The opposition and the coalition's Christian Democrats view the exchange as unfavorable and would prefer to pursue expropriation. Křetínský did not want to sell the land but demanded an exchange. This opens the way for him to land he can potentially develop in the future. Once the city builds flood protection measures on the Svratka River and necessary transport infrastructure, he will be able to construct residential buildings close to the center. According to the opposition, if the city kept the land, it could have been better utilized.

Today's decision, deemed unfavorable by many councilors, marks the end of the long-standing effort for the city to acquire the land it needs for the new station and its surroundings. This is the last plot that has not yet belonged to it. For many years, the city tried to negotiate with the owner ČSAD Brno holding unsuccessfully until Křetínský became the owner of the company and thus the land in 2021.

The coalition's Christian Democrats and the opposition defended expropriation at the council meeting today. It was one of the possible options for acquiring the land, which was also acknowledged by councilor Jiří Oliva (SOCDEM). "The city is merely accommodating Mr. Křetínský. It is possible to submit a price offer for purchase based on an expert assessment. If the buying side does not accept it, expropriation will come into play," stated councilor Tomáš Koláčný (Pirates). He also questioned the expert opinion of Tomáš Janas on the land that Brněnské komunikace are to sell to Křetínský. He reminded that Janas valued a transformer station that the city needed to acquire for the construction of the Janáček Cultural Center, and against the second assessment, the value was more than double, hence he does not trust the results of his work.

Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL), Minister of the Environment, mentioned that the city does not need all of Křetínský's land. According to him, he will be dependent on the city to build the necessary infrastructure for the planned construction on the newly acquired land. "We are selling construction land for residential development, but we are only buying land for technical infrastructure and public spaces," added Hladík, providing arguments as to why the exchange is unfavorable for the city. "Once the city builds the infrastructure, the price of the land that Mr. Křetínský wants will significantly increase. In cases of public interest constructions, expropriation is already standard and the process is significantly faster than in the past," stated Hladík.

Councilor Oliva stated that the exchange is more advantageous for the city because it is uncertain how a court dispute would turn out. The other party indicated that it would contest expropriation through the courts. "If we go the route of exchange, it will be faster for the city," Oliva said. Speed was mentioned as one of the main arguments because it would allow construction of the new station to start on time. There has been long talk of starting construction in 2028, but now, the Railway Administration is speaking about the beginning "still this decade."