Karlovy Vary Region removed the repair of the Imperial Spa from the budget

photo: www.karlovy-vary.cz

Karlovy Vary - The Karlovy Vary region does not allocate funds for the repair of the Imperial Spa in Karlovy Vary in the budget approved today for the next year. The region initially prepared 100 million crowns for the reconstruction of the national cultural monument, estimated to cost about 600 million crowns.

According to Governor Jana Vildumetzová (ANO), it is possible to allocate money for the reconstruction during the year if needed, she stated today at the council meeting. The tender for the contractor is already underway.

"The money is not there because the tender was announced by an association and the region has no oversight or detailed information about it. We believe that if the tender is announced, there should also be financial coverage. There was not even a public discussion. Therefore, the regional leadership decided not to propose this amount in the budget for now," Vildumetzová stated.

However, according to the mayor of Karlovy Vary, Petr Kulhánek (KOA), funds had been secured. "I completely refute the notion that funding is not secured. The project is prepared in such a way that it has been possible to allocate resources from multiple sources. And if someone now turns 180 degrees back, I see that as an irresponsible, unacceptable, and from my point of view, very unfortunate step," Kulhánek stated.

The new leadership of the Karlovy Vary region will also withdraw from the interest association of legal entities, the Imperial Spa Karlovy Vary, in which the region and the city of Karlovy Vary are involved, and which was established precisely to combine financial resources from various sources. According to agreements and promises, the region was to contribute 200 million crowns, the city of Karlovy Vary 100 million crowns, the Ministry of Culture also 100 million crowns, and the Ministry for Regional Development at least 120 million crowns, Kulhánek calculated. State subsidies were dependent on support from the city and the region.

According to Deputy Governor Martin Hurajčík (ANO), for example, the director of the association signed a contract for legal services worth 250,000 crowns just before the new government assumed office in the region. "I consider that unprofessional," he stated. He emphasized, however, that the new leadership wants to continue collaborating on the repairs, but it must be a transparent approach.

"Postpone the vote at least until January and request all the information. This step will take the entire situation back three years," appealed coalition councilor Jakub Pánik (ČSSD). He was unsuccessful.

The building itself is currently owned by the region but has an agreement with the city that if it does not ensure its reconstruction, the building will revert to the city's ownership. If the jointly set funding fails today, the entire project of reconstructing the monument is at risk, according to Mayor Kulhánek. "The city, I assume, will not have the will to continue to be involved in the reconstruction, so the region will have to somehow deal with the building itself. Of course, according to the agreement, there is also the option that the Karlovy Vary region can return the building to the city," Kulhánek responded to the region's latest steps.