Hradec Králové announced the third tender for the stadium, the deadline is August 15.

Hradec Králové - The city of Hradec Králové has recently announced a third competition for the construction of a football stadium costing up to 605 million crowns excluding VAT. The deadline for submitting bids is August 15, according to the tender documentation. The construction is expected to begin early next year, with an estimated construction period of 18 months. The stadium, which has been in preparation for more than 15 years, will be built on the site of an inadequate and partially demolished multi-sport stadium from 1960. The stadium will host the second division club FC Hradec Králové, which will have to play elsewhere during the construction.

The city estimated the expected value of the stadium at 550 million crowns excluding VAT. The city council set the maximum permissible value for bids at 605 million crowns excluding VAT. Including VAT, the maximum value of the construction could thus reach 740 million crowns. This will be the largest investment by the city in recent years.

The city has already allocated funds for the construction in its budget for the upcoming years. It will be financed from its own sources, and they do not intend to take out a loan. According to Deputy Mayor for Economics Monika Štayrová (ANO), the city will try to obtain a subsidy from the state for the construction.

Last year, the city called for two tenders for the stadium, but both were canceled. After the last tender was canceled last November, the new ruling coalition of ANO, ODS, and Changes for Hradec commissioned two reports to assess the project, construction costs, and the recalculation of the load-bearing structure. The reports, according to Deputy Mayor for Investments Jiří Bláha (ODS), revealed an underestimation of financial aspects and serious deficiencies in the documentation. The documentation was subsequently revised by the designer within the framework of a complaint, and according to Bláha, it should be flawless.

Unlike previous plans, the stadium will be built all at once, rather than in phases. According to Bláha, this will be cheaper. The price of up to 605 million crowns excluding VAT includes the entire stadium with four stands and a lawn, and includes increases due to the rise in construction costs in recent years.

Some opposition councilors expressed doubts and reservations about the project. "In six months, this will fall by the wayside. No one will apply (at this price)," said opposition councilor Aleš Dohnal (Pirates) recently. According to Pavlína Springerová from the opposition Hradec Democratic Club, the city lost eight months by canceling the second tender, and the stadium will allegedly not be built any cheaper or faster than originally planned.

The stadium is expected to accommodate 10,000 spectators. Its characteristic lighting with four so-called "lollipops" will remain, albeit in a modernized form. In the autumn of 2017, the city had the western stand demolished, leaving only an earthen mound. The only remaining structure from the current stadium will be the eastern stand, which will serve as a facility for the needs of the training fields.