The station in Havířov and its surroundings are set for extensive modernization

Havířov - The train station's dispatch building in Havířov in the Karvina region and its surroundings will undergo extensive modernization. The building, designed in the Brussels style, will not only serve for passenger handling, but will also be used for sports and cultural activities. This was announced today by the Deputy Mayor Josef Bělica (ANO) to journalists. The city and the Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) have agreed on a joint approach, and both parties signed a memorandum of cooperation today.

The city will be responsible for renovating the entire area in front of the station, which estimates that the reconstruction will cost around 150 million crowns, with the city covering it from its own budget. "We already have the project documentation prepared. Today we are in the phase of zoning proceedings," said Bělica. The city hall plans to start the renovations this year. "Last year we started the revitalization of the passage to the Šumbark district, which is already completed," Bělica noted. The next step will be to repair the parking lot at the tower building. Further alterations could begin in the fall. "There should be about 180 new parking spaces. The new pre-station area will also include covered stops and access corridors; we also want to bring a bike path to the area," said Bělica. The area in front of the station could be completely finished by the spring of next year.

The SŽDC will then take care of the station buildings; a facility for passengers will be created in the left part, and the current large train hall will become a multifunctional center in the future. The city expects that after the repairs, SŽDC will lease the hall to them, and the space will be used for both sports and cultural purposes. Mobile sports facilities, a climbing wall, a café, social amenities, and a municipal police station will be located there.

"We have commissioned the preparation of project documentation for the reconstruction of the entire station building, including its left administrative part. We plan to use these spaces for passengers and carriers," said SŽDC General Director Pavel Surý.

According to the director of the Olomouc Passenger Railway Administration, Gabriel Jursa, the reconstruction of the buildings could also begin this year, with completion expected in 2019, at the latest 2020. Jursa did not want to specify the costs yet, but it should be in the tens of millions of crowns, and the repair should be cheaper than the modernization of the area in front of the station.

The station building in Havířov was built between 1964 and 1969 in the so-called Brussels style according to a design by architect Josef Hrejsemnou. The sculptor Václav Uruba also contributed to the design. He is the author of the sculpture Direction Marker at the entrance to the hall, which was relocated to Ostrava in 2015. The western wall of the entrance hall is covered with a colored glass mosaic covering an area of 65 square meters by glass artist and painter Vladimír Kopecký. In the past, there were considerations to demolish the hall, which triggered a wave of discontent.