The unused Skloexport building in Liberec could not be sold even for the third time

Liberec - The long-unused Skloexport building in Liberec has failed to sell even after the third attempt. The starting price was reduced by the Office for Representation of the State in Property Affairs (ÚZSVM) by another ten million to 57.01 million crowns, but no one placed a bid, and the auction ended at 10:00. Neither the Liberec Region nor the city of Liberec participated in the third round of the auction. It is still undecided whether a fourth round of bidding will take place; the office is evaluating the auction, said ÚZSVM spokesperson Michaela Tesařová in response to a query from ČTK.

The seven-story Skloexport building was constructed according to a design by architect František Vahala at the corner of Žitavská and 1. Máje streets between 1928 and 1930 for tax and customs administration. The renowned exporter of Czech glass acquired it during the communist regime, and the company went bankrupt in the latter half of the 1990s. The state took ownership of the building in 2001, and the last tenants left it eight years later. The state has been unsuccessfully trying to sell the premises, which have a floor area of 9,357 square meters, since 2008. According to estimates, it needs reconstruction costing more than half a billion crowns.

For years, the building belonged to the General Financial Directorate. It was first offered for sale in August 2008, when a court expert set the minimum price at 84.6 million crowns, but no interested buyers came forward. The premises also failed to sell in subsequent years, with the price gradually decreased to 45 million crowns. In May 2020, the building was taken over by ÚZSVM. According to Tesařová, no state institution showed interest in the building, so the office is looking for a new owner through a transparent electronic auction.

The office first auctioned the building on November 15 and 16 last year, with a starting price of over 79 million crowns. One interested party submitted a deposit but did not place a bid, and the building remained unsold. The second round of bidding on December 20 and 21 had a similar outcome, despite a price reduction to 67 million, and now the third round also failed despite further price cuts. According to Deputy Mayor of Liberec Adam Lenert (ANO), the price of the building remains too high despite repeated reductions.

In the past, Liberec expressed interest in the premises, wanting to acquire the building free of charge; however, it did not reach an agreement with the state and rejected the option to purchase it for the then-required 67 million crowns. Last spring, the Liberec Region sought to adapt the building to accommodate up to 500 Ukrainian refugees, but also failed. According to Governor Martin Půta (Mayors for the Liberec Region), the state should not sell the building and should use it for its offices.