<Hluboká nad Vltavou> will start building an ice rink next year for 325 million crowns

Hluboká nad Vltavou - Hluboká nad Vltavou in the Českobudějovice region will start building a new ice rink next year for 325 million crowns. Work will begin at the beginning of the year, and it should be completed in 2027. This was approved by the councilors today. The city has received a grant of 120 million CZK from the National Sports Agency, which represents the largest investment in the city's history, said independent sports councilor David Šťastný to ČTK. Besides the public, the ice rink will be used by ice hockey players from the regional league HC Knights Hluboká and the university team from the Czech Technical University in České Budějovice, Black Dogs Budweis.

"Hluboká is a city of sports, and the ice rink is the last major sports facility that has been waiting for modernization. It will serve the public, schools, hockey teams, and figure skaters of all ages and performance categories. It will offer eight locker rooms for teams and one for the public, a gym, a fitness center, a restaurant, and a lounge, as well as seating for over 300 spectators. We will create a multifunctional space that can also be used for corporate and social events,” said Šťastný. The facility will be energy-efficient. A parking lot for 100 cars will be built next to the rink.

The sports complex will be built next to the Vltava River on the site of the current open ice surface by the winners of the tender, the company Aübeck in collaboration with Syner, which has already built several ice rinks in the Czech Republic. The open ice rink usually operates for three months. "The operational costs have long been economically unsustainable for the city. The solution was either to invest in modernization or to close the facility,” added Šťastný.

"We have prepared a ten-year financial outlook to ensure we can build the ice rink while maintaining the development pace of Hluboká. This will not jeopardize other projects; we are expecting new school pavilions, transport constructions, and support for community life," said the mayor of the city, Tomáš Jirsa (ODS).

The city of Hluboká nad Vltavou is completing the construction of a footbridge over the Vltava River, which will be ceremonially opened on September 20. The costs were 80 million crowns, with the city securing 68 million CZK from the Integrated Regional Operational Program and the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure.

In March, the town hall started the construction of a pavilion that will expand the elementary school by ten classes. The investment is 130 million CZK, with over half of the costs covered by a grant, and it is expected to be completed by August next year. Over the next four years, they plan to invest more than 250 million crowns into the expansion and modernization of the school.

Hluboká has around 5,600 residents, and the city's budget is about 300 million CZK annually.