<Hřib> Prague is still interested in the Karlín barracks, culture belongs there. </Hřib>

Prague - The capital city is still interested in acquiring the site of the Karlín barracks, which is currently state-owned and managed by the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM). This was stated by Prague's mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) on social media. Prague had previously expressed interest in the extensive property, claiming it could house municipal officials there. However, this intention has been abandoned. Now the mayor is talking about apartments. ÚZSVM spokesperson Radek Ležatka stated that the office had repeatedly offered to exchange the site for fields in Letňany, which Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) wants for an administrative complex.

The courtyard of the complex and a smaller building on it are currently used by the association Prague Center, which operates, among other things, a bar, a café, and a music club there. Last week, ÚZSVM extended the association's contract for another two years, but at the same time announced a tender for a new operator for the part of the complex currently used by the association. According to Matěj Velka from the association, considering the conditions of the competition, there is a risk that the center, which has been functioning since 2017, will have to cease operations.

Mayor Hřib has spoken out against this. "We insist on preserving the existing authentic culture. We would like to transform the interior spaces into affordable housing. So we are continuing negotiations with the state on how to acquire the complex for the ownership of Prague," he stated on Twitter.

"A year ago we offered you the Karlín barracks in exchange for fields in Letňany. The offer still stands. Unfortunately, we have not yet received a substantive response. At the same time, we have not received the memorandum promised between the state and Prague. The state is still ready for negotiations," the office stated in response. Its spokesperson Radek Ležatka added that the office is currently looking for interested parties among state institutions to take over the barrack complex. If no one signs up, a tender for the sale of the property or an auction will follow.

Local governments, unlike state institutions, cannot directly apply for properties managed by ÚZSVM. So far, the city's leadership has unsuccessfully pushed for municipalities to at least have a right of first refusal on state property. There is currently tension between ÚZSVM and Prague, with the mayor repeatedly stating that the office, or rather Prime Minister Babiš, is blocking already negotiated exchanges of property with the city. The reason is alleged reluctance on the part of the city to provide parcels in Letňany for the construction of an administrative complex. Babiš has denied this.

Ležatka added that local governments can apply for the property under certain conditions. "Just last year, we transferred 2406 properties worth over 160 million crowns to municipalities for free," he stated. According to him, the exchanges of property with Prague do not stand for political reasons but for substantive ones. If the administrative complex is not built in Letňany, the state would have to administratively use the buildings that Prague is interested in, said the spokesperson. According to him, the city has also still not submitted the relevant resolutions of the council and the assembly, and it will also be necessary to update the appraisals of the properties, which date back to 2018, to complete the exchanges.

The barracks in Karlín effectively ceased to operate after the turn of the millennium, although the Ministry of Defense used them for other purposes for some time. The building has been completely empty since 2013. After that, the Ministry of Justice expressed interest in the building, wanting to build a judicial palace there. This, however, fell through, and last year the properties were taken over by ÚZSVM.

The barracks were built in the late classical style between 1845 and 1848 by the Klein brothers' company. The building is largely preserved in its original condition, including many details. It has been a protected landmark since 1958. The Ministry of Defense unsuccessfully tried to sell it in 2013.