HB Reavis will sell several projects in Prague, including Transgas

Prague - The developer group HB Reavis will sell several projects in Prague, including the Transgas complex on Vinohradská Street, for which it has had a valid demolition permit since early February. They are starting negotiations with interested parties. The company's spokesperson, Jakub Verner, confirmed the sale information to the E15 server. The group of Slovak billionaire Ivan Chrenek intends to significantly reduce its activities in Prague. The demolition of the building should proceed as planned, and any potential new owner might only acquire the vacant land.

The owner of the Transgas complex has had a final decision on demolition since February 1. Their intention was to build several new structures on the site. The removal of the buildings, which the state refused to protect as a cultural monument, has sparked criticism from some experts.

"We are currently initiating negotiations with potential buyers. The completion of the sale depends on the offers, the number of interested parties, and similar factors," Verner told the server. He did not comment on the expected revenue. Regarding the planned demolition of Transgas, the company is currently proceeding according to the original schedule, which also includes the demolition of the building. "The building is not dismantled or demolished within one week. It depends on how quickly negotiations proceed with potential buyers," Verner told ČTK. A potential new owner may thus only acquire an undeveloped plot of land.

A few days ago, HB Reavis announced that it wants to fence the land in the coming days to ensure safety around the construction site. They will also begin clearing the interior spaces and then gradually dismantling the above-ground structures, which could take several months.

In addition to Transgas, HB Reavis is also disposing of the old office building Mercuria in Holešovice, where future demolition was also expected, writes E15. The company will also offer an office project in Radlice near the ČSOB headquarters. The company decided to sell in accordance with its new strategy, which consists of building larger locations. Where it is not possible to create a larger office complex, it will sell the properties. Conversely, it will retain the project in Brno, the Aupark shopping center in Hradec Králové, or the HubHub network of shared offices, which it has in Prague on Na Příkopě. The company also has significant projects in Warsaw, Budapest, and London.

HB Reavis acquired the Transgas complex in 2014 from the ČEZ company. In February 2016, the owner announced plans to demolish the complex and build a multifunctional building at the released site according to a design by the architectural studio Jakub Cigler Architects. According to earlier statements by the developer, it could be completed by early 2021.

The complex of buildings of the former Gas Central Dispatch Transgas and the Ministry of Fuel and Energy is located near Wenceslas Square, beneath the Czech Radio building. Three buildings were constructed between 1966 and 1976 in the brutalist style and were designed by the team of Jindřich Malátek, Ivo Loos, Zdeněk Eisenreich, and Václav Aulický. The plan to demolish the complex has sparked debates about the architecture of the socialist era, which has both supporters and critics. The Club for Old Prague attempted to protect the building complex from demolition by proposing to the Ministry of Culture that it be declared a monument. The ministry did not declare the buildings as monuments.