Moravská Třebová continues preparations for the reconstruction of the dairy into a center for culture

Moravská Třebová – The Town Hall in Moravská Třebová in the Svitavy region continues to prepare for the construction of a cultural-community center. It will be created from the former Miltra dairy in Jiráskova street, which the city has purchased. Last year, the winning design from the architectural office Rusina Frei Architekt was selected in an architectural competition, and at the end of March, the councilors approved 3.4 million crowns for the detailed development of the study. The city does not want to buy the Besední Dům for cultural purposes in the historic center of the city, which a private owner is offering for sale, due to its high price, said mayor Pavel Charvát to ČTK.

"Our priority is different. We bought another complex a couple of years ago for cultural reasons, and we are taking steps to ensure culture there for the people of Třebová. Now a brownfield from a bourgeois house has appeared on the market, into which no investments have been made since the revolution," stated Charvát.

The purchase of Besední Dům was proposed to the city by opposition councilor Martin Bárta (ČSSD). According to him, it would be a significantly cheaper and faster solution. "Besední Dům, a place where people have always met. A space for hosting concerts, balls, and social gatherings, which the city management could 'almost immediately' satisfy the need of citizens missing a social dance hall, and at the same time, money would not be spent on a megalomaniac project of the Cultural Center, the realization of which is nowhere in sight," Bárta stated. However, according to Charvát, the owner is asking for up to 30 million crowns for the building, and the object is not in good condition.

The winning design of the Cultural Center includes the construction of a community hall with seating for 250 to 500 people, a cinema hall for 80 viewers, a new municipal community library, facilities for the museum's depository, a bar, a café, and other spaces for social life. In the uncovered part, a municipal garden will be created, and the restored chimney will serve as a rainwater tank. The project also includes the construction of necessary parking spaces. For Moravská Třebová, the variety and multifunctionality of the offered spaces and services are particularly important. To ensure the place remains lively throughout the day, it was decided to connect the community hall, cinema hall, library, and café. The library is expected to enliven the entire space and create links with the nearby gymnasium and nursing home. The center will be located next to the city museum, which lacks suitable spaces for storing its collections.

The costs are estimated at 300 to 350 million crowns. "The opposition does not want to hear that we want to have the reconstruction designed in phases and seek subsidies for them as possible. In the final state, not everything in the study may even be included," said Charvát.

The area of one hectare in Jiráskova street, which the city acquired for 11 million crowns in 2020, is near the center of the city and adjacent to the park by the city museum. The factory hall and the former machine room will remain preserved, as well as the character of the original gabled roofs.