The new town hall in Modřany should cost nearly 618 million

Prague – The new town hall in Modřany, being built by Geosan Group and Klement, is expected to cost around 617.8 million crowns. The construction costs were initially estimated at approximately 470 million crowns, but the amount has gradually increased. The completion date for the building is also being pushed back; it was supposed to be finished this spring. This is evident from the resolution of the city councilors, which is available on the town hall's website.

The offices of the twelfth district are currently operating in seven buildings that are in poor technical condition. The architectural design for the new town hall, which is now being built on land between Písková and Generála Šišky streets, is inspired by the history of Modřany, and the building will take the shape of three sugar cubes. A sugar factory operated in this part of the capital from 1861 to 2005.

The most recent increase in construction costs by 7.1 million crowns excluding VAT is related to the newly approved construction of a retention basin for rainwater and adjustments to the sewer system. This will require applying for additional administrative permits, which, according to the annex to the resolution of the councilors of Prague 12, will delay the completion of the building. The town hall was supposed to be completed this spring. Past increases in construction costs were also caused by, for example, an increase in the mass of part of the building, the addition of cabling for WIFI, or unplanned disposal of contaminated soil found at the construction site. Automatic fire extinguishing systems, photovoltaics, and more powerful transformers were also added.

In the new town hall building, once completed, there will be, among other things, government service counters, a registry office, offices for officials and the leadership of the district, and a meeting room for the council. A multifunctional hall with a capacity of 120 people is expected to serve for conferences, chamber concerts, and other cultural events. The district plans to rent out some offices and spaces intended for business. However, no tenants have yet been found for many of the offered spaces, and the town hall has therefore reduced the requested minimum rent for some of these areas.

To finance the construction, the twelfth district previously received an interest-free loan of 250 million crowns from the capital city. It must be repaid by 2036. This is also why Prague 12 is selling some of its houses and lands in Modřany. The current councilors of the district continued the stance of the previous administration, which planned to raise money for construction by selling property owned by Prague 12. From 2014 to 2018, a coalition of the YES movement, Change for Prague 12, and the Czech Social Democratic Party was in power.

In Prague 12, the coalition is formed by representatives of the Pirates, ODS, TOP 09, and the Greens, and the mayor is Jan Adamec (Pirates). Prague 12, with a population of 56,617 inhabitants, includes the entire cadastral areas of Cholupice, Kamýk, Komořany, Modřany, and Točná.