Jihlava is still seeking money for the construction of the Horácká multifunctional arena

Jihlava - Jihlava is negotiating the possibilities of obtaining additional funds for the construction of the Horácká Multifunctional Arena (HMA) from grant programs as well as from the private sector. The best-rated supplier in the tender offered to build the arena for 1.9 billion crowns, which was the lowest bid, but even so, it is more than the city originally expected. According to today's press release from the city hall, this contractor is willing to hold the offered price for several months.

“However, the city's goal remains to realize the construction as soon as possible and without unnecessary delays or postponements,” stated the new mayor of Jihlava, Petr Ryška (ODS), in the report. In the previous electoral period, he was the deputy mayor.

The Vysočina Region promised half a billion crowns for the construction of the arena, and Jihlava expects another 300 million from the National Sports Agency. At the last meeting before the September municipal elections, Jihlava's representatives instructed the officials to negotiate with banks about a possible increase of the loan from 200 million to 800 million crowns. For financing the project, the city would then need to secure another 300 million.

"Given the economic situation and the impacts of the energy crisis, the negotiations are not developing entirely as we had hoped. The private sector is currently being cautious,” said David Beke (ODS), a city councilor and manager of the HMA construction. He noted that in relation to private entities, land sales are particularly in play. For example, companies are interested in space for their further development or developers for construction. The leadership of Jihlava is concurrently exploring options for obtaining additional grants for the arena.

The city is now also having an analysis of the substrate under the old ice rink prepared, on the site of which it wants to build the HMA. A specialized company is currently performing drilling to the expected depth level of the new construction's excavations inside the hall intended for demolition. They need to drill through a thick layer of concrete. The samples will serve to evaluate how to manage the excavated soil during construction.

"Typically, these analyses are performed at the construction site during the actual excavation work. However, during the permitting process for soil disposal, we encountered a requirement from the state administration authority to conduct this analysis now,” said Beke. He added that the city would also gain more precise information about the substrate of the future hall, which could save costs, for example, during the foundation of the construction. According to him, drilling could not be done earlier while the hall was in operation because the underground pipeline has not been precisely mapped and there was a risk of damage. For the drilling and its laboratory evaluation, the city will pay 280,000 crowns excluding tax.

Jihlava received five price offers for the construction of the arena, ranging from 1.9 to 2.25 billion crowns. The deadline for their submission ended on July 28. The tender is not yet closed.