The fate of the archive and cultural factory in Světovar is still unclear

Plzeň - Even after today's extraordinary meeting of the Regional Council ROP Southwest, it is still unclear what will happen to the project of the planned archive and cultural factory in the former Světovar brewery in Plzeň. The committee decided for the second time whether to grant the request of the city of Plzeň to extend the project's completion date from June 30, 2015, to September 30, 2015. This extension would allow Plzeň to receive a subsidy of 110 million koruna. However, clarity is lacking as the committee will wait for the outcome of the tender currently being held by the city concerning Světovar. Ivo Grüner (ČSSD), Deputy Governor of Plzeň Region and Chairman of the Regional Council ROP Southwest, said this to ČTK.
    "We don't know how the tender will turn out; there are many variables, which is why the committee decided to wait," he stated.
    Plzeň requested the deadline extension because construction was halted this spring due to health-hazardous tar found along with cork in the insulation of the walls and floors of the complex. The city has already released tens of millions of koruna for its removal, but the remediation has caused delays.
    According to Grüner, it is difficult to predict how the entire construction situation will develop when the tender for construction work has not been completed. "The construction company that is currently supposed to carry out this work has declared it will meet the deadline by the end of September 2015 on the condition that work begins in November 2014. However, no one can say with certainty whether construction will start at that time. It primarily depends on the course of the tender and its outcome," Grüner noted.
    According to Deputy Mayor Martin Zrzavecký (ČSSD), workers are already removing hazardous substances at the site. The city is now conducting a standard tender for the company that will subsequently continue and provide insulation. "The opening of the envelopes should take place soon," Zrzavecký said.
    According to Zrzavecký, today's stance of ROP means that the representatives will likely have to decide this Thursday whether Plzeň will continue with the project, risking the possibility of not receiving the subsidy, or not. "The result of the tender will be known by mid-October; ROP is reportedly set to meet only in November, and the council won't be sitting by then," Zrzavecký explained.
    Technical Deputy Mayor Pavel Šindelář told ČTK that the positive aspect is that ROP has not halted the project. On the other hand, he stated that it is a new decision that was never considered, so the city must analyze it with lawyers, and in the next two days, it will decide how to approach the representatives.