Czech Post sold the former branch in the center of Olomouc for 130.5 million crowns

Olomouc - Czech Post (ČP) sold its former branch on Horní náměstí in the historic center of Olomouc for 130.5 million crowns in an electronic auction. The owner of the property will be announced after registration in the land register. The minimum price for the property in the center of Olomouc was set by an expert assessment at 130 million crowns. Several interested parties registered for the electronic auction. ČTK was informed today by the spokesman of ČP, Ivo Vysoudil. The branch on Horní náměstí was on the list of workplaces that ČP closed last year.

The building of the former post office on Horní náměstí has eight floors and includes a plot of land with an area of 1101 square meters. There are several apartments on the upper floors. "In the sold property, part of the space is rented under a lease agreement, where rights and obligations transfer to the new owner. A purchase agreement will now be concluded after the settlement of the purchase price and an entry will be made in the land register," said Ondřej Škorpil, director of the shared services division of ČP.

The property is located in the historic center, so any potential reconstruction requires consent from heritage protectors. The municipality had previously been interested in the branch on Horní náměstí. According to the mayor's deputy Otakar Štěpán Bačák (spOLečně), ČP did not intend to operate a branch there even in the format of a Postal Partner, which means that this property in the center of Olomouc is no longer so interesting for the city.

The municipality is now focusing its attention on the spacious post office building in Ladova Street in Olomouc-Hejčín, which ČP also wants to sell in an electronic auction. The starting price for the complex with land covering an area of nearly 13,000 square meters is 119 million. The municipality plans to use half of the approved investment loan of 400 million crowns for the planned purchase and reconstruction of the branch in Ladova Street.

In recent months, ČP has been selling properties across the country, as Vysoudil stated, in an effort to stabilize the company's finances before its transformation. So far, ČP has managed to sell eight properties in Olomouc, Beroun, Svitavy, České Budějovice, Tábor, Litvínov, Plzeň, and Frýdek-Místek. "Sales are ongoing for another 19 properties, and more properties will be offered for sale in the near future," Vysoudil added.

The management of ČP has already set dates for electronic auctions of several more buildings, whose minimum bidding price exceeds 100 million crowns. For instance, the building of ČP on Poštovní Street in Ostrava, a property on K Cihelně Street in Prague 9, and the postal complex on Sládkova Street in Ostrava will be auctioned.

Due to cost-cutting measures, the post office closed 300 out of 3200 branches in mid-last year and laid off 1500 employees. Olomouc lost seven postal branches by the end of June last year, which is half of their original number. The municipality opposed the closures of branches on Horní náměstí and in Holice, fearing a deterioration in service accessibility. The post office branch on Horní náměstí was frequently visited and had barrier-free access.