The demolition excavator began to tear down houses on Škodova Street

photo: Palickap via Wikimedia Commons

Přerov - A demolition excavator began demolishing the first of the abandoned apartment buildings this morning on the devastated Škodova street in Přerov. A major transformation of the former Roma ghetto near the train station has begun after several years of planning. The last attempt ended in failure. The company to which the city sold the area went bankrupt, and the city hall had to buy back the lands with the ruins of the buildings. The leadership of Přerov hopes that the area will now be transformed into a new urban district. An urban study should also help with that.

"Škodova street was a disgrace to the city. We are glad that we have finally been able to rectify this after ten years, and we hope that a new nice neighborhood will emerge here. We have commissioned a new urban study, which should be completed by mid-December. Based on that, we will decide with whom we will negotiate, for example with a developer," said ČTK Deputy Mayor of Přerov Petr Měřínský (ANO).

According to Mayor Vladimír Puchalský (Together for Přerov), it is important that the process of changes has begun. "It is related to the construction of a bypass, diverting traffic away from the station through Mádr's underpass, thus opening up a huge development space for this area, from the brewery to the station. That is why we announced an urban competition, to arrive at some conclusion. This corrects a strategic mistake of the previous leadership. Nothing has happened here for ten years," said Puchalský.

The demolition excavator attracted the attention of many residents of the city today. People filmed and took photos of the falling walls of the buildings on their phones, and a drone also captured the situation from the air. The residents of Přerov will be able to watch this unusual attraction for several weeks. The excavator will gradually bring down four apartment buildings. The specialized company that won the demolition contract has 60 days for the demolition and cleaning of the area. The costs of demolition amount to 3.5 million crowns. The city has received a subsidy of nearly 2.5 million crowns for the revitalization of the area. "As part of the subsidy, a park design should be created here. If we have a better project within three years, we will return the subsidy and start implementing the project from the urban study," added Měřínský.

The city hall bought the lands and buildings last year after a failed attempt by a private investor to restore this part of the city back into its ownership. The city paid 3.3 million for the buildings and lands, more than double the price at which this property was sold to a private investor nine years ago. His plans to build new apartment buildings on the site did not materialize. Ruins remained near the station, and the company went bankrupt.

In the part of Škodova street, which the city sold to the company Opera Bohemia, there were originally 81 apartments in the buildings, of which 55 were occupied. The last families moved out in 2013. A year earlier, there were an estimated 50 to 100 people living there.