The former children's educational institution in Králíky will go up for auction

Králíky - The town of Králíky was unable to acquire the site of the former children's correctional facility from the state, which has been empty for several years. The extensive building was intended for residential use. Last summer, the Ministry of Justice abandoned its plan to convert the building into a new prison. The site is expected to go up for auction shortly.

"We might participate in the auction, but it depends on the price. If it's disproportionate, then it wouldn't be possible," said Králíky Mayor Václav Kubín (Sportovci) to ČTK.

The town has been trying to acquire the site free of charge. It requested a transfer from the Office for the Representation of the State in Property Affairs (ÚZSVM), but so far it has not been granted.

"We offered the site to other state organizations, but none expressed interest. Currently, we are waiting for approval from the Ministry of Finance for the auction," stated the director of the ÚZSVM regional office in Hradec Králové, Michal Votřel. According to him, the sale could take place at the end of summer.

In the past, the company Sněžník, which owns a large year-round recreation center in nearby Dolní Morava, also expressed interest in the site.

The extensive building has been abandoned since the end of 2014. The Ministry of the Interior originally wanted to use it as a residence for asylum seekers. However, a portion of the town's residents and some politicians opposed this. They were concerned that the presence of foreigners would harm tourism in the region, that the immigrants would not integrate with the locals, and that they might not feel comfortable in a small town. Ultimately, the Ministry abandoned the plan and transferred the property to the Ministry of Justice, which proposed to establish a prison in Králíky. This also met with unfavorable reception, as residents expressed in a referendum at the end of 2016 that they did not want a prison. However, the vote was not binding for the ministry.