Multi Development wants to build on Karolina by 2016

The company Multi Development, which today won the developer competition for the construction of the area of the former Karolina coke plant in the center of Ostrava, aims to complete its project divided into five phases by 2016. The company plans to invest 12 to 15 billion crowns into this lucrative area in the center of Ostrava, said the director of the company for the Czech Republic, Luboš Kočí, to journalists today. The company will now begin negotiating with the city regarding contracts and land acquisitions.
Before the end of the competition, Multi Development purchased the only historical building in the Karolina area - Dvojhalí. They expect that the central square in front of this building will be the dominant feature of the construction, though a high-rise building will also be included. According to Kočí, the purchase of Dvojhalí may have been one of the positive influences in deciding the winner. "Our proposal is truly a natural extension of the center," Kočí believes. He added that the company placed great emphasis on creating urban spaces, that is, on streets and squares. Housing, offices, and retail occupy one third of the space each. The project includes a large pedestrian zone and underground transport. More information can be found on the website www.karolina.cz.
Kočí has not yet clearly commented on the university campus that the University of Ostrava would like to build at Karolina. "It's a very interesting idea... we will definitely negotiate with everyone," stated Kočí, who believes that incorporating the campus could possibly be addressed within a broader area and not just the Karolina site itself.
The lands at Karolina will now need to be measured. The city wants to offer them for about 1,300 crowns per square meter, but will still have to have an expert appraisal drawn up. "I believe we can come to a reasonable agreement," added Kočí.
Among the five developers, Multi Development's project ultimately won with a slight absolute majority of the votes. The Ostrava council has 55 members, and of the 51 present today, 28 supported this solution across party lines. The mayor, Aleš Zedník (ČSSD), had claimed from the beginning that he did not wish for a close result. "It's not that I want to say it's disappointing, but it's the lower limit," said Zedník. He added that he didn't expect the winning company to be chosen in the first round of voting. "I think this must have taken the breath away from all those who knew how people decide. I was convinced that it would be decided in the second round," Zedník supplemented.
Opposition councilor and ODS mayoral candidate Lukáš Ženatý told journalists that the Civic Democrats did not behave as a classic opposition during today's voting, as the ODS had advocated for the area to be developed as a whole and had sought some sort of competition for this area. Originally, the city considered that part of the area could host a shopping center that the company ECE Projektmanagement Praha had planned to build. "We wanted the ODS to have a significant role in the voting for the winner, and I think that was achieved, as more than half of the club ultimately voted for the winner," added Ženatý.
The company Multi Development has previously invested in 18 countries around the world. In the Czech Republic, it has previously constructed shopping and entertainment centers, such as Olympia in Plzeň and Olomouc or Chodov Center in Prague. The company is also building a new commercial and entertainment center in Ústí nad Labem. The firm focuses on constructing urban, commercial, and administrative centers across Europe. Current projects under the Multi brand include Victoria Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and a number of projects in Turkey.
Following the winning company were Orco Property Group and TriGránit Czech Republic, ECE Projektmanagement Praha and Passerinvest Group, ING Real Estate Development and Sekyra Group. The companies that were unsuccessful in the competition and disagree with its results now have only one option, to submit a proposal to the Ministry of the Interior for a review of the council’s decision.
The developer competition was accompanied by significant criticism. Karolina has long been the subject of a dispute between the city and a group of Polish architects who won an international architectural competition years ago. However, the city ultimately decided not to follow their proposal but to announce a developer competition. This, however, was labeled by the Czech Chamber of Architects as an irregular architectural competition.

Information about the competition >