Cheb has a new Cultural Center Svoboda available for 150 million CZK

Photo: kcsvoboda.cz

Cheb - Cheb now has access to the new Svoboda Cultural Center, the construction of which cost nearly 150 million crowns. The building was erected on the site of the original Svoboda cultural house, of which only a small part remains. All events previously organized by the city’s production center Kamenná will move to Svoboda. The latter lacked adequate facilities, including a large hall. The construction of the new center was financed by Cheb without subsidies using a loan, said Mayor Pavel Vanoušek (ČSSD) today to ČTK.
    The construction of the cultural center was the largest investment project in the city in recent years. The city hall had a loan agreement for up to 140 million crowns, but ultimately only withdrew about 45 million, which must be repaid no later than within eight years. According to Vanoušek, the loan withdrawal was successfully reduced due to the suspension of other investments. "For example, we did not continue with the expansion of the industrial park and the modifications of public spaces in one housing estate. However, stopping these projects was not related to the construction of Svoboda," the mayor stated.
    The Svoboda Cultural Center is under the management of the West Bohemian Theater in Cheb, which is established by the city. The city allocates around 27.5 million crowns for theater operations next year. Vanoušek anticipates that about seven million will go to the cultural center. However, what the actual operational costs of Svoboda will be will only be revealed next year, noted the center's director Vladimír Keblúšek. "The operation of the center will be ensured by ten employees, who previously worked at the Kamenná Production Center," Keblúšek stated.
    According to Keblúšek, the name Kamenná Production Center will no longer be used, and the new cultural brand in Cheb will be the Svoboda Cultural Center from the new year. The premises of the production center in Kamenná Street have been taken over by the city and will be used commercially, for example, as administrative spaces. Only in the monastery library will there be classical music concerts, and the club cinema will also continue to operate for now. The new cultural center will officially start operations for the public on the last day of this year, when there will be New Year's Eve celebrations.
    With the Svoboda Cultural Center, Cheb gained a large hall for organizing balls. For example, due to the absence of an appropriate hall, graduation balls from the city had almost disappeared, said Keblúšek. The center's management was already negotiating events for next year half a year before its completion. Dates for the balls are already sold out. "The hall also has parameters for holding seminars or congresses. There are club rooms and rehearsal rooms available in the building, as well as a restaurant and a dance hall," added Keblúšek.
    The cultural center was built in a year by a consortium of companies Algon and Metrostav. The mayor stated that he was initially among the opponents of the project because he had concerns about the city's excessive debt. Now he believes that these are sensibly spent funds. After deducting VAT, the project has ultimately cost the city about 120 million crowns. Concerns that the originally contracted price would increase during construction did not materialize either. "The only additional cost was three million crowns, which we spent on acquiring modern audiovisual technology," Vanoušek added.