The city will negotiate with the owner and investors about the Automatic Mills

Pardubice - A tripartite meeting will take place regarding the future of the Automatic Mills in Pardubice, designed by architect Josef Gočár. Representatives of the owner, the city, and potential investors should participate in the meetings. This was stated today by the mayor's deputy, František Brendl. The monument in the city center has been for sale since last year and production has ceased.
    "I expect that we will all meet. If we could collaborate, we would outline possibilities," said Brendl.
    Last year, GoodMills offered the mills to the city for 40 million korunas. The city’s appraisal reduced the value of the site to 17 million korunas. A new appraisal by the owner of the cultural monument now matches the price proposed by the city’s estimator.
    The city has not yet clearly expressed whether it will buy the mills or if it wants to cooperate with another buyer. According to the working group Mills for the City, which the town hall established to deal with the use of the monument, the city is sluggish and has made little progress. So far, the councilors have only approved its regulations, which partially define the investment possibilities for the buyer.
    "We hope that the councilors will take reason into their hands and not let the entire issue and subsequently the Automatic Mills themselves remain idle, but rather will take clear steps to seek a strategic partner. It is also necessary to start planning the gradual use of the site,” the group stated in a written declaration.
    The Automatic Mills were built between 1910 and 1925. They are inspired by Anglo-Saxon architecture, which is characterized by light and dark brickwork made of raw bricks. Additions in subsequent decades are no longer works by Josef Gočár and are not protected as monuments. The mills are currently proposed as a national cultural monument.
    "I would really wish for that. Logically, the mills aspire to this title. It would have the advantage of increasing the potential for obtaining European subsidies," said Brendl. Critics argue, however, that the highest Czech level of protection restricts the use of the buildings.