The renovation of Jiřího z Poděbrad Square is underway, and people are worried about the fountain

Prague - The Žižkov Town Hall has revived plans for the reconstruction of Jiří z Poděbrady Square after years. The expensive repair will cost about 90 million crowns. It is expected to start around 2015. However, some local residents are worried about the fate of the fountain and the metro vent, which reportedly have artistic value. At their request, an extraordinary council meeting is therefore being held today to address the issues surrounding the square's renovation.
    "We have returned to the idea of redesigning the square according to a quality project that emerged from an architectural competition years ago," said Deputy Mayor Ondřej Rut (Žns). The original town hall leadership postponed the repairs, stating that they planned to build a huge underground parking lot for 450 cars under the square at a cost of 750 million crowns. Last year, the town hall backed away from that plan. "An analysis revealed that the project is financially excessive," Rut claims.
    The square, which is the largest in Prague 3, urgently needs renovation, according to the Deputy Mayor. "The current state of the square and its architectural form, which has gradually emerged from non-conceptual modifications, absolutely do not correspond to the significance of a national cultural monument," he asserts. The centerpiece of the square is the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord, designed by the well-known Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik.
    The architectural proposal includes planting mature linden trees and plane trees around the square and paving the area in front of the church. "We would like to create conditions for markets and social events that have a tradition here," said the Deputy Mayor. At the same time, the unattractive metro entrances should be modified. Crosswalks will be added so that people can freely cross into Svatopluk Čech's gardens.
    The project does not plan to preserve the massive metro vent, and the fountain is also expected to disappear. Some artists and locals disagree with this. "We demand the preservation of the fountain and the metro vent in their original places and their repair," the initiators stated in a petition directed to the councilors. Both structures are architecturally significant, according to them. Rut stated that the councilors will discuss this further. He himself would be in favor of preserving the fountain and reducing the vent, which he believes disrupts the appearance of the square in its current form.