No one showed interest in renting the Veleslavín castle for a second time either

Prague - Even in the second selection process, no one showed interest in renting the premises of the baroque Veleslavín Castle in Prague 6. The Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM), which manages the castle, will offer the area again. ČTK was informed of this by ÚZSVM spokesperson Radek Ležatka upon request. The office originally wanted to auction the castle for 382 million crowns, but the Minister of Culture rescinded the necessary consent for the auction. Prague is seeking to obtain the castle as its property.

The deadline for submitting bids in the second round of the selection process expired today at 9:00 AM. "No bids were submitted in the second round of the selection procedure for the rental of Veleslavín Castle. Therefore, ÚZSVM will now prepare a third round of the selection process, with a likely price reduction in accordance with the law," Ležatka told ČTK. The office aims to announce the next round as soon as possible.

In the first round, the rental price for the entire area was set at 750,000 crowns per month, and in the second round announced in December, the price was reduced to 525,000 crowns. The office wants to rent the castle until a new owner is found, but no later than the end of December 2019. The area includes the main building, kitchen, barn, and gatehouse. The entire area is enclosed by a wall, which is in poor condition in several places. The land and buildings are part of an immovable cultural monument.

Until the end of last November, a private healthcare provider operated in the castle, paying 210,000 crowns per month for the rental of the main building. Due to the end of the contract, the office wanted to auction the castle to avoid costs for security for the state.

The main city and Prague 6 are interested in the premises, considering it a suitable place for social or cultural use. The auction date, less than two months after the municipal elections, complicated the city's participation in the auction, according to municipal representatives. They also criticized the auction process during the city council meeting last September, stating that public institutions have little chance of success.

The Ministry of Culture initially expressed consent for the auction of the castle, but a few days later, Minister of Culture Antonín Staněk (ČSSD) rescinded that consent and stated that the building should remain in public ownership. According to him, the castle could be used for one of the cultural institutions or serve the people of Prague.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) proposed that the state might exchange the castle with Prague for 16 plots of land in Letňany, where, in his view, a so-called government quarter for state officials should be established. The mentioned plots are valued at 350 million crowns. Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) has repeatedly rejected the idea of a government quarter.

However, the new leadership of the capital does not reject the exchange of Veleslavín Castle for other real estate. Councilor for property Jan Chabr (United Forces/TOP 09) previously stated that the castle could be exchanged for fire stations owned by the city, which the Ministry of the Interior has expressed interest in.

The castle, with its historic park covering three hectares, dates back to around 1725. It was built according to the plans of Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer for Empress Amálie of Brunswick. It was last renovated in 1986. ÚZSVM took over the baroque castle in 2015 from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.