The appearance of the square in Čelákovice will be decided by the people in a referendum

Čelákovice - The appearance of the square in Čelákovice will likely be decided by residents in a referendum. Opponents of the project supported by the town hall managed to gather signatures from 20 percent of eligible voters, which are required by law to call a public vote. Today, they submitted a proposal to hold a referendum along with 192 sheets containing 1849 signatures from residents at the town hall.
To call a local referendum, signatures from 1670 residents of Čelákovice were needed. "In a month and a half, we managed to collect so many signatures that the requirement of the referendum law is comfortably met," said Václav Špaček, the authorized representative of the organizing committee of the local referendum, to ČTK.
Mayor Bohumil Klicpera confirmed to ČTK that they received the proposal to hold a referendum today. If it complies with the law, the city will organize the vote, he added.
According to Špaček, 3900 people participated in the last municipal elections in the city. "Statistically, almost every second voter who participated in the municipal elections in Čelákovice supported the announcement of the referendum," he added.
Talks about the reconstruction of the square in Čelákovice began right after 1990. However, no funds were found in the budget for it because it was first necessary to complete the sewage system, increase the capacity of the wastewater treatment plant, expand the water supply network, install gas, and build and repair schools.
The city organized a tender for a developer, which attracted 28 interested parties. Ultimately, councilors approved a future contract with Harmonie Group, which plans to build a multi-story building with apartments, shops, and parking in the gap in the square. The project's costs will reach 220 million crowns. Construction is expected to begin later this year, and the site should be completed by mid-next year.
According to opponents of the construction, the town hall's leadership prioritizes the commercial interests of the future investor. There are also doubts raised about the legality of their selection. They believe the proposed functionalist-style object does not fit into the historic center.
Martin Klein, the general director of Harmonie Group, recently told ČTK that in the entire two years they have been negotiating the project of the house, none of the current critics of the construction has approached Harmonie Group. "Unfortunately, despite several calls from the public, apart from minor exceptions, we have not heard a single rational argument against it," he argued. According to him, the project was discussed with the city, and 12 proposals were gradually submitted, the last of which received support from all city bodies.