The city of Brno faces a ten million crown fine for the Wilson house

Brno - The city of Brno faces fines totaling several tens of millions of crowns for the residential and shopping building Wilson, which currently exists only on paper. The first penalty, which, according to Deputy Mayor Oliver Pospíšil, could reach up to one hundred million crowns, threatens the city due to delays in construction from the project investor, Wilson Properity. The Ministry of Defense is also considering an additional fine of about ten million, which it stated when transferring the land on Kraví hora to the city, with the condition that it would not be used for commercial purposes, Pospíšil told reporters today.
    The reconstruction of Míru Square on Kraví hora and the construction of a multifunctional building was first proposed by the Brno-střed district in 1998. At that time, an architectural competition selected the urban design from the RAW studio, and the subsequent tender for the construction contractor was won by Wilson Properity, which signed a contract with the district.
    Later, residents of the surrounding houses opposed the construction of a five-story building with shops and apartments in the middle of a villa district, with around 1700 people signing a petition. Moreover, the property department of the Brno City Hall refused to grant permission for the construction of the building - one of the conditions for the transfer of former military land on Kraví hora to the city of Brno was that it would not be used for commercial operations.
    "Without an amendment from the Ministry of Defense that would revoke part of the transfer agreement, the city cannot do anything. Moreover, the ministry is also considering whether it will fine the city for already closed contracts," said Pospíšil. According to him, the ministry is interested in revoking the land use restriction, but further development is being hindered by a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator filed by the opposition in the Brno-střed district. According to them, the contract with the company is unfavorable for the city. Due to the blocked situation, the city faces further fines from the investor, which, according to Pospíšil, could amount to as much as one hundred million crowns.
    "Fines are a last resort. We wish to continue with the original project, but we are also willing to adjust it after discussions with the city," said Jiří Maršálek, the manager of Wilson Properity, to reporters today. On the land on Kraví hora, he plans to build 63 apartments, a grocery store covering nearly 1000 square meters, and a cultural center for youth and seniors. The project also includes the construction of parking spaces and the reconstruction of the entire square, including the tram terminus.