Hradec Králové will be looking for a designer for the repair of the northern terraces for the fourth time

Hradec Králové - Hradec Králové will be searching for a designer for the reconstruction of the historic northern terraces and the adjacent Žižkov Gardens for the fourth time. No one has applied in the three previous selection procedures. The city hall now wants to choose a designer through a so-called negotiation procedure without publication instead of a traditional tender, during which it intends to negotiate directly with two applicants. This was stated today by Deputy Mayor Lukáš Řádek (TOP 09). If delays continue, the city could lose European funding for the reconstruction.

The terraces are in a state of disrepair and have been closed to the public for over ten years. The city hall estimates the reconstruction costs to be up to 200 million crowns. It aims to obtain a grant of 71 million crowns from the European ITI program. According to the terms of the grant, construction should start no later than 2027, and be completed by the end of 2029. The project is one of the city's investment priorities.

The city has been unsuccessfully looking for a designer since last summer. Řádek attributed this to the limited capacities of designers and the non-functional system of digitizing construction proceedings.

After three unsuccessful tenders, the city hall organized preliminary market consultations with potential applicants at the beginning of this year. Based on these consultations, the city council on Tuesday selected the negotiation procedure without publication for further proceedings, which should be faster than a traditional tender. The procurement conditions will remain the same as in the last third tender.

The northern terraces stand on the site of former city walls and, along with the Žižkov Gardens, are located in a city heritage conservation area. The city hall has been preparing the restoration of the site since 2012, and five years ago it obtained a valid zoning decision.

In addition to repairing the terraces and their staircases, builders are expected to construct a new staircase to Kavčí Plácek. "The network of paths will also be changed to ensure barrier-free access to the Velké náměstí," Řádek said earlier. Builders will also modify the drainage system to adequately channel water from the terraces to the gardens. The current system of sewage and rainwater drainage is nearly non-functional and inadequate, causing water accumulation on the terraces and further deterioration of their condition. The stability of the terraces is further degraded by the strong root systems of some trees.

The appearance of the gardens is expected to resemble the park concept from 1905 by architect František Thomayer, who designed the gardens as a French ornamental garden with rich floral plantings. The circular fountain in the middle of the gardens will also be restored, and new urban furniture will be provided. Plans include the restoration of greenery and trees, many of which are in a state of disrepair. A large portion of the work will involve the replacement and repair of engineering networks.

The so-called southern terraces and the terraces near the former brewery were repaired by the city at a cost of 72 million crowns in 2011.