The Chamber of Commerce wants Jeseník to continue preparing the construction of the aquapark

Jeseník - The Chamber of Commerce (HK) in Jeseník disagrees with the local council's decision to terminate the project for the construction of a regional aquapark after several years of preparation. According to the chamber, this water attraction would boost tourism in the Jesenicko region, and the city hall should continue preparing the aquapark project. Bořivoj Minář, the chairman of the District Chamber of Commerce Jeseník, stated this today to ČTK. The council will discuss the aquapark again in mid-December.
    The city hall failed to secure 50 million crowns for technical services from banks, which were supposed to assign the contract for the aquapark construction worth approximately 200 million crowns. Therefore, last week the council decided that the city would not continue negotiating the loan with banks, would not provide subsidies to technical services, and the already initiated tender for the aquapark construction supplier would be terminated.
    However, according to Minář, a tourist center like Jeseník cannot do without such a facility. "If we consider the very limited usability of the open pool in Jeseník, which will also require renovation, and if we take into account the outdated and loss-making indoor pool in the village of Česká Ves, the construction of some covered swimming pool is a necessity," Minář stated. According to him, the Jeseník council should revoke the resolution to stop the project so that the city hall could continue preparing the project.
    The city has found itself in a very complicated situation, as no bank applied for the tender for financing part of the aquapark construction. Meanwhile, however, the tender for the aquapark construction was initiated. Advisors pointed out that negotiations with banks could take longer than the deadline for assigning contracts, which expires in February. Therefore, the council preferred to decide to terminate the project. The aquapark had to be completed by March 2015, so that the city would not lose European subsidies, without which the construction is not feasible.
    Jeseník Mayor Marie Fomiczewová (ČSSD) told ČTK today that it would only make sense to revoke the resolution to stop the aquapark construction project if the city received a binding commitment from at least two banks. "At this moment, that is not the case," she stated.
    The construction of the aquapark, which was supposed to be located at the site of the current city swimming pool, has been in preparation for several years. The preparation of the plan cost the city hall approximately 20 million crowns. Jeseník was supposed to receive nearly 80 million crowns from European funds for the construction, and additional money was to be obtained from donations and the sale of city property, with the remainder covered by a fifty-million crown loan from the city.
    Councillors who disagree with the aquapark project argued not only the financial demands of the project but also that construction had begun on a thermal swimming pool in nearby Velké Losiny, which would compete with the Jeseník aquapark. Jeseník faced the possibility of having to call a referendum due to the construction. However, the petition organizers failed to gather enough signatures. Analyses indicate that the city would have to subsidize the aquapark by nearly ten million crowns annually. This amount includes repayments of the fifty-million crown loan spread over 15 years. Even then, the city hall would have to invest several million crowns annually into the operation of the aquapark.