A new building complex will be constructed near the Háje metro station within five years

Prague - A new complex of administrative, commercial, and residential buildings is set to rise near the Háje metro station within five years. The Melit company aims to renovate the so-called pedestrian zone, which is currently in a neglected state. Natálie Sedláčková informed ČTK about this on behalf of Melit in a press release. According to Hospodářské noviny, the project will include a 120-meter tall skyscraper, which would become the tallest building in Prague. However, the company currently has no permits for the construction.
    The city district has been trying to reconstruct the pedestrian zone in Háje for several years. According to spokesperson Andrea Wolfová, they have encountered disputes and inconsistency among the owners of various parts of the area. The land in the region mostly belongs to private owners, but also to the city district, the city hall, or the Prague public transport company.
    Last May, at a council meeting of the eleventh city district, the investor presented a vision for how they wanted to redevelop the area. The study then included the construction of four twelve-story buildings, a bridge over Opatovská Street, or the conversion of the current shopping zone into greenery.
    The current project from Melit has significantly modified the original plans. The company plans to build a shopping center, a pair of office buildings, a residential building, and three underground parking garages with a capacity of about 1600 spaces in Háje. The complex is intended to create a partially covered square in its center.
    Today, the company presented the project at the Mother Teresa Community Center, not far from where the complex is to be built. According to visualizations, two tall buildings will rise above the shopping center, which will bridge Opatovská Street. Together, they will form a symbolic cross. The lower one, oriented in a north-south direction, is to have 16 stories and will be approximately the same height as a nearby residential building on Bajkonurská Street. The second, oriented west-east, is intended to comprise 31 floors, making it the tallest building in the metropolis.
    The entire complex is to be named Porto Háje. According to the schedule, the investor intends to obtain the city council's and zoning permit this year, with construction planned to start in 2013. Opening is scheduled for 2015.
    Whether the tallest building in Prague will stand in Háje remains unclear. It may be challenging for the investor to gain approval from all institutions. When a significantly less ambitious project was presented a year ago, local residents opposed it. Their main concern was the height of the planned buildings, which were to be about three times lower than the currently planned structure. The existing landmark of the area is a residential building on Bajkonurská Street.
    Even today, about two dozen local residents opposed the company's vision at the presentation. "I think it's a megalomaniac horror," said Jiří Štyler from the Chodov civic association. According to former mayor Marta Šorfová (ODS), the complex would obstruct the view of Central Park. Melit architect Vladimír Kružík countered that the space above the metro is undeveloped, and the design simply fills the gap.