<p>The agreement on the government district is uncertain, Letňany is entering the debate.</p>

Prague - The agreement on the construction of a governmental quarter in the Prague district of Letňany remains uncertain. Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) told reporters today that, in addition to meeting other conditions of the city hall, it will also depend on what the state wants to do with the buildings in the city center, from which officials would be moving to Letňany. The mayors of Letňany and other affected districts announced that they want to be involved in discussions about the plan. According to representatives of the real estate market, a new administrative quarter would make Letňany a premium location like Karlín or Smíchov.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) wants to relocate 10,000 state officials to the municipal land in Letňany, and the city hall is also requesting a hospital and apartments there. However, the current city zoning plan does not allow for the construction of residential buildings on the land; according to representatives of the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), a change would take at least two years. Additionally, due to the proximity of two airports in Letňany and Kbely, any potential construction is limited to a height of six floors. The city would likely also have to strengthen public transport in Letňany.

In the past, IPR identified the Bubny-Zátory brownfield as a more suitable location for relocating state officials. State representatives reject this. Radek Ležatka, spokesperson for the Office for State Representation in Property Affairs (ÚZSVM), stated today that the capacity, transport accessibility, and the fact that the land is owned by the city and the state speak in favor of Letňany. In contrast, challenges to the Bubny-Zátory location include its division among 40 owners, a construction moratorium, and a zoning plan that does not allow for the construction of administrative buildings, he added.

Hřib emphasized today that no agreement has yet been reached regarding the use of land in Letňany. "Negotiations are still ongoing; we are now waiting for a concrete offer from the state," he noted. It is crucial for him and other representatives of the Prague coalition that empty, unused buildings do not remain in the city center. According to previous information from ÚZSVM, the relocation concerns 115 buildings, of which 90 are to be vacated. "From what I learn from the media about which buildings are to be vacated, it raises concerns in me," said the mayor. He added that he had requested a list of the buildings from ÚZSVM, but it is still being worked on.

Jan Čižinský, leader of Prague Sobě, said that in further discussions, city representatives want to include the Letňany city hall as well as central city districts where the buildings to be vacated are located. The mayor of Prague 1, Pavel Čižinský (Prague 1 Sobě), stated on Facebook that it is necessary to avoid having buildings in the center remaining empty. The mayors of Letňany and neighboring Kbely, Prague 9, and Čakovice have also expressed their interest. Next Monday, they plan to meet and discuss the possible impacts on the northeastern part of Prague.

According to the mayor of Letňany, Zdeněk Kučera (ANO), the affected city districts want to gain access to the discussions about the construction. "We fundamentally disagree with the idea that this is being discussed without us and that agreements that will affect the lives and future of more than 20,000 residents of our district are being made behind our backs," he stated. Other mayors emphasized that the traffic situation in the area needs to be addressed, which could be complicated by additional apartments. Addressing traffic and parking issues is also necessary, according to the deputy mayor of Letňany, Pavel Sehnal (ODA/Krásné Letňany), but he described the plan as advantageous for the district. Sehnal also owns the Letňany exhibition area, which borders the affected municipal land.

In exchange for parcels for the governmental quarter, the city hall also wants to finance the completion of the inner ring road and obtain additional properties from the state. Among them are the Karlín barracks, where approximately a thousand city hall officials from the Škodův palác on Jungmannova street could be relocated, according to Hřib. The city's lease in the palace expires in 2028, and by then it must resolve where to relocate its employees. The barracks are currently owned by the Ministry of Justice, which has abandoned plans to create a judicial palace and is negotiating the transfer of the building to ÚZSVM.

The price of the city land needed for the governmental quarter could range from one to three billion crowns, according to statements from real estate experts. Babiš previously estimated the price to be around 400 million CZK. A smaller portion of the land for the planned complex is owned by individuals and the state. Industry professionals expect property prices in the surrounding area to rise. For example, according to the director of the Bezrealitky.cz portal, Hendrik Meyer, the increase in property prices in the event of the creation of a new quarter could extend even to villages beyond Prague. Commercial director of Bidli, Roman Weiser, estimated that any vacated buildings in the center would be more likely to be transformed into hotels, corporate headquarters, and luxury apartments rather than apartments for regular Prague residents.