Heritage protectors rejected underground garages at Zelný trh

The Underground of Vegetable Market (current state)

Brno - Heritage experts rejected parking underneath the Vegetable Market in Brno. The Scientific Council of the director of the National Heritage Institute, Nadějda Goryczková, deemed the plan unacceptable. They argued about the location of the Vegetable Market in the city heritage zone. A private investor planned to build garages in the square. He sparked discontent among activists, who claimed that it would irreversibly damage the appearance of the square and risk the destruction of historical corridors and cellars, as well as the Baroque fountain Parnas.
    According to heritage experts, the plan is unacceptable due to the protection of urban, artistic, architectural, and archaeological heritage, as well as other reasons. They emphasize that in the city heritage reserve, spaces and areas need to be used with regard to their heritage value. This also applies to terrain modifications. "The plan to build underground garages accessed by an open ramp directly from the area of one of the most significant squares in the heritage reserve is in direct conflict with these conditions," they stated.
    Experts say that the street network situation in Brno is valuable, as is the preservation of the Vegetable Market. Although the square is one of the largest, according to them, it has retained much greater intimacy than, for example, Freedom Square. This is also due to the market being predominantly pedestrian, where, according to heritage experts, "the blending with traffic is undesirable to the point of being dangerous."
    Architect Jaroslav Dokoupil, representing the investor, defended the construction at the meeting of the Scientific Council, stating that its aim is to bring people back to the center, where they should also have comfort and a place to park. Heritage experts, on the other hand, argued about the archaeologically valuable subsoil, which reportedly starts just below the pavement. They also took into account the protests the plan had triggered and deemed it unprecedented. "It should not be socially acceptable in general, not just due to the heritage protection of the square," they stated.
    The company has not yet obtained a zoning decision for the plan, as it was still preparing documents.
    In the previous electoral period, the then city councilors of Brno agreed to the garages on the Vegetable Market. However, according to the later statements of some of them, they did not have complete information, and many therefore reassessed their views. Currently, the council is expected to comment on the plan, which will also respond to petitions from people against the garages. For example, the opposition Greens have expressed their disapproval of the project in advance. Among the opponents of the garages across party lines, there will likely be enough votes to ensure that the plan fails, as indicated by the statement from the mayor's deputy Oliver Pospíšil (ČSSD) on Thursday.