The Rondo Hall in Brno will be repaired for 700 million

Brno - The renovation of the Brno hall Rondo, where the women's basketball final match of the World Championship is to take place in 2010, will be more expensive than originally anticipated. This spring, politicians estimated the costs of the investment at 300 million crowns; from the study they currently have, it appears that the modernization of the hall will cost 700 million. If the funds are available, it will be carried out in two phases, with a parking garage added during the second phase, said Brno councilor Jaroslav Suchý to journalists today.
According to Suchý, it is important to hurry with the first phase of the reconstruction. Builders should complete it by May 2010, when the first preparatory matches before the Women's World Championship should take place in the renovated Rondo.
According to the councilor, it is realistic to complete the construction on time, but the schedule is tight. “It's enough if someone appeals in the selection procedure, and it's already a problem,” said Suchý. The city is currently selecting a general designer who will prepare the documentation for the building permit and for the selection of the construction company. This will be followed by another competition for the construction company.
The city wants to renovate the hall by the championship, which will cost about 400 million crowns. Builders will replace the seats, the ice rink, repair the ceiling's structural integrity, and renovate the facilities for the athletes. According to Suchý, "sky boxes," compartments for more regular visitors to the hall, will also be created in the auditorium. Repairs will proceed while the hall is in operation, and the seating capacity during the renovation will be limited to half.
Only in the second phase will a parking garage be built next to Rondo. It will not be completed by the basketball championship; therefore, spectators will be able to park at the Brno exhibition grounds, with shuttle transport bringing them to Rondo. The parking garage can be built in three locations; the most likely scenario is that it will rise on the site of the current parking lot next to the hall.
According to the zoning plan, a small parking lot near the intersection of Křídlovická Street and Nové sady is also considered. According to Suchý, it would also be possible to dust off the architects' study from the late 1960s, according to which the facilities for Rondo could be built on the opposite bank of the river.
The Rondo hall urgently needs renovation; the interiors and facilities do not meet today's requirements. The cornerstone of the Rondo hall was laid in 1972, and builders then had to deal with challenging foundations. They established the building on a layer of liquid sands using steel piles. The hall was ceremoniously opened in 1982, when it hosted the World Championship in bowling.