The former Prior building will be replaced in Brno within four years by new construction as well as a park

Brno - The building of the former Prior from the era of socialism, located between Brno's main train station and the Vaňkovka shopping center, is set to be replaced within four years by several new buildings and a park covering two and a half hectares, giving a new look to this unattractive area. The company Crestyl, which has owned the property since 2017 when it purchased it from Tesco, expects that the ground floors of the new buildings will serve shops, services, and restaurants, while the upper floors will house rental apartments and offices. The project plans to invest seven billion crowns, said Jaromír Krb, the director of development, in a press release.

"We want to create a vibrant and freely accessible public space here with all the functions that go with it. Therefore, in addition to the current use, we are also including rental housing," Krb stated. The developer has consulted the preparation of the project with the city and the Office of the Architect of the City of Brno. In addition to the building, the redevelopment also concerns open spaces to the north of the train station and west towards the hardware store on Uhelná Street, including the parking lot.

This is another part of the revitalization of an area adjacent to the city center from the south, which was predominantly industrial in the past and began to change significantly only after 2000, when the Vaňkovka shopping center was built, the Dorn high-rise was completed, and new offices were established on the site of Vlněna; the tram tracks and the streets Dornych and Plotní were renovated, the bus station at Zvonařka was modernized, and the transformation into a modern part of the city is still ongoing. The private developer also plans to build a hotel on the vacant space of the former Metropol Hotel.

The project obtained a zoning decision in July, and the building permit is expected to be issued in the first half of next year. After that, the current building will be demolished. In its place, a partially covered public space and six buildings will be created, the tallest of which will have eight floors. Access to the underpass beneath the main train station and a footbridge above Úzká Street will remain in place. The passage from the train station to Vaňkovka will also be preserved during construction. Approximately 75,000 people pass through here daily.

The buildings will be eco-friendly, including features such as rainwater utilization for flushing toilets and irrigation, energy-efficient lighting inside the buildings, and charging stations for electric cars and bikes in garages and bike storage. The offices will also have showers and changing rooms to provide essential facilities for those commuting by bike.