The multifunctional hall in Brno should have building permission in January

Brno – The multifunctional hall Arena Brno, which is to be located at the Brno Exhibition Centre, is expected to obtain a building permit probably next January. Brno's mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS) said this to journalists today while taking over the project documentation for the construction.

"The consortium of companies A Plus and ArchDesign met the deadline and delivered the documentation on July 2, after which it was necessary to check whether the documentation was prepared according to our requirements. This was taken on by the established steering committee, which evaluated it as meeting the requirements," Vaňková stated.

The city now needs to obtain opinions from around 50 affected state administration bodies. Vaňková expects that these opinions can be obtained within three months, after which the city may apply for the issuance of a joint decision on zoning and building permits. "If all goes well, we expect to have the building permit next January," the mayor added.

The multifunctional hall, with a capacity of up to 13,000 spectators, which could serve various sports and cultural events, is to be built next to Pavilion Z at the Brno Exhibition Centre. It is already clear that its construction will cost more than the originally planned 1.5 billion Czech crowns. The exact amount is not yet known, as the documentation has so far only focused on the appearance of the building, not its cost. "The price will depend on the results of the tender for the construction contractor, but we know that the amount will definitely be higher than the originally contemplated 1.5 billion," Vaňková said.

The city does not yet have financing secured; the original assumption counted on financing solely from public funds with participation from the region and the state. "However, given the current economic situation, that is not certain, and we can imagine a scenario where the hall would be co-financed from private sources. Without secured financing, the hall cannot be built," Vaňková stated.

Originally intended as a hockey hall primarily for the needs of the hockey team Kometa, it was supposed to be built at Lužánky, where the city has long been dealing with property disputes. The newly planned hall is expected to have a total of 30 usage variations, including exhibitions. The city hopes to complete it by 2024 so that the World Hockey Championship can take place in Brno that year.