<translation>Developer in Brno's Bronx reconstructed a house, rents out apartments</translation>

Brno - The company RC Europe today opened a reconstructed house in Brno on Bratislavská Street, opposite the Museum of Romani Culture. This is one of many development projects that are gradually transforming the so-called Brno Bronx. Unlike other investors, the company is renting out the 67 new apartments instead of selling them. The investment in the building is viewed as long-term, said Josef Ondrůšek, the company's director for the Czech Republic, to ČTK.

The area, largely inhabited by Romani residents, began to transform from a neglected neighborhood about ten to fifteen years ago, and there has been a lively construction boom for several years. Old houses are being renovated or demolished, and new ones are being built. There are several such places on Bratislavská Street, as well as on Cejl, Francouzská, Přadlácká, and some others. The investors include both the city and private companies. "The neighborhood is slowly awakening. Many properties are already renovated. We are betting on the fact that it is close to the center and will continue to improve. More houses will be renovated, and those who are not adaptable will find other locations," Ondrůšek believes.

The investor bought the house as uninhabited and in very poor condition about three years ago, removing several dozen tons of waste that had been brought to the house and the yard. For tens of millions of crowns, the building was rebuilt, retaining only the load-bearing walls, adding two more floors to the original four, and offering apartments ranging from 1+kk to 2+1. The cheapest one costs 6,500 crowns per month plus 2,000 for utilities, while the most expensive apartments are offered for 15,000 to 16,000 crowns excluding utilities. "We have been offering them for six weeks, and 22 apartments are already rented," Ondrůšek stated.

Among the clients are mainly young people, but also managers who live elsewhere but want to spend the night in their apartment in Brno. "There is also interest from retirees who had large apartments but can no longer afford them," Ondrůšek described the clientele. The apartments are offered furnished, unfurnished, or partially furnished. "We try to accommodate clients to the fullest," Ondrůšek added. For example, people can also order cleaning services for their apartments.

RC Europe operates in the field of residential, administrative, and commercial real estate. In Brno, it operates, for example, RC Palace, which is a former post office on Poštovská Street.

In Brno's Bronx, apartments are currently under construction, for instance on Francouzská Street, comprising the Domino residential building and the French Corner residence. A multifunctional building is being constructed on Bratislavská Street against the Trauma Hospital. The city has renovated several houses that are rented out or serve as temporary housing, and the city hall plans more. Proportionally, with all the new constructions and renovations, rental and property prices in this area are also rising and have not been among the cheapest in Brno for several years.