The owner of the dilapidated Ostravice wants help from the city for the renovation

Ostrava - The new owner of the former Ostravica-Textilia department store complex in Ostrava, which has been derelict for years, wants to collaborate with the city on its restoration. Nikos Boboras, the managing director of RME Czech, considers commercial use unrealistic. The city is not opposed to discussing cooperation but expects the owner to present a concrete proposal or offer, which he has not yet done. This was stated today by Mayor Tomáš Macura (ANO).
     "I think the city should approach this a bit more responsibly. It can also be said that the city is to blame for the (condition)," Boboras told reporters. He claims that he is trying to maintain the buildings in such a condition that they do not continue to deteriorate. He hinted that the buildings could be used, for example, as a gallery or a seat for a scientific library, which has been lacking a suitable facility for years. He stated that without cooperation with the city and the region, it is not possible to restore the buildings to their original state.
     Boboras did not rule out that he would have to demolish the only non-listed building due to its poor condition. This corner building is perceived by the public as a symbol of the former department store, although two other buildings connected to it are under heritage protection.
     The city leadership does not agree with the owner's perspective. There are discrepancies regarding the maintenance of the buildings. According to the city, the complex of buildings has deteriorated significantly in recent months, and the situation has radically worsened since the last inspection in March.
     Therefore, the city filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator for general danger due to negligence. It also requested the building authority of the central municipal district Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz to order maintenance work on the buildings. In agreement with the owner, it sent structural engineers to assess the buildings.
     "The structural engineer confirmed that the condition is dire to critical and that the condition of the buildings requires immediate intervention, maintenance, and security work. Of course, this is the first verbal output from the structural engineer; I assume that his report will be ready in a matter of days," Macura stated.
     He emphasized that the current state of the buildings cannot be blamed on the city. "I have no idea how the city could be at fault for the condition of a private property," he said.
     On Tuesday, the owner made the buildings accessible to journalists, officials, and interested members of the public during a tour. "I must say that after a long time, I saw the interiors of these buildings, and I am horrified by their condition," said Naděžda Goryczková, the director general of the National Heritage Institute, after the tour.
     She personally believes that both heritage-protected buildings can be saved. However, the corner building is in poor condition, according to her. "I fear that this building is probably lost for the city, and it is a great pity because it is really just due to neglect and the careless approach of the owner. I am not thinking of the current owner, but of all the owners who have contributed to the devastation of this block of buildings," Goryczková stated.
     Since spring, the buildings have been owned by RME Czech. The demise of what was once the most luxurious department store in the city began in 2000 when ceilings collapsed during an unauthorized renovation. Conflicts between the city and the district with the developer and the former owner of the buildings, Amádeus Real, ensued, and the complex of three historical buildings, two of which are heritage-protected, has been deteriorating for years.