The historic buildings of Trojhalí in Ostrava will begin renovations this year

Photo: www.vitkovice.cz

Ostrava - The historical buildings of the so-called Trojhalí on the territory of the former Karolina coke-plant in the center of Ostrava will begin reconstruction this year. The European Union will provide a grant of 283 million crowns for the reconstruction, which costs approximately 340 million crowns. The grant was approved today by the Regional Council of Moravian-Silesian Region, which redistributes European funds. This was reported by council spokesperson Michal Sobek.
    The reconstruction of the dilapidated buildings of the former power plant and headquarters, collectively referred to as Trojhalí, will create a covered square that will be used for social, exhibition, and sports activities in the future. The buildings will be reconstructed according to the design of architect Josef Pleskot, who is also involved in the transformation of the Lower Vítkovice area in Ostrava.
    "This is another step towards the beautification and revitalization of the center of Ostrava in the Nová Karolina area. Trojhalí will give the place a social dimension; it will be a pleasant place for gatherings, culture, and sports," stated Mayor Petr Kajnar (ČSSD).
    A contractor is currently being selected for the reconstruction, which is expected to start this year. Everything could be completed by next summer.
    "I believe this is one of the key projects for Ostrava, not just because of its financial scale. It directly connects to other activities in the Nová Karolina area. I believe it will contribute to a more welcoming face during the transformation of the center of Ostrava," said David Sventek, director of the Regional Council of Moravian-Silesian Region.
    The heritage-protected buildings are the only ones that remain in the area of the former industrial complex. A new shopping and entertainment center, Forum Nová Karolina, will be ceremonially opened near them on Wednesday for approximately four billion crowns, and it will be accessible to the public on Thursday. Part of the first phase of the transformation of the former industrial area includes residential or office construction. The entire first phase is estimated to cost around seven billion crowns and should be completed next year.
    The competition for the development of Nová Karolina, announced by the city nearly six years ago, was won by Multi Development. Construction is set to occur in several phases, and the entire Nová Karolina will cover an area of 32 hectares, making it more than seven times larger than Prague's Wenceslas Square. However, the new development has sparked mixed reactions among the city's residents and has many critics. Some even compare the newly opened shopping and entertainment center to the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.