Heritage protectors will重新检查 the protection of the station in Žižkov

Prague - Minister of Culture Jiří Besser has returned the heritage protection of the functionalist building of the Žižkov Freight Station in Prague to heritage inspectors for review. He stated this on the ministry's website. He complied with the appeal of the owner, namely the Czech Railways, which appealed against the decision to declare the station a monument at the beginning of the year. The station is threatened with demolition, which has sparked a wave of resistance among the public and some experts. Sekyra Group aims to build a new district and a road at the station site, which is also included in the city’s urban plan proposal.
      "In such a long-term and complex case, I decided to proceed with utmost caution and respect the recommendations of the lawyers," Besser stated on the ministry’s website.
      According to Besser, the lawyers from the ministry of culture's appeals committee supported their recommendation to annul the decision declaring the station a cultural monument with four arguments. The strongest of them is the fact that in December 2009, the ministry, in its statement on the draft new urban plan for the Prague 3 district, which included the demolition of the building, did not raise any significant objections.
      "It is simply not possible for a public administration body to have no objections to the demolition of a building on one hand and then declare it a cultural monument just a few weeks later. Or, as we see, it is possible, but that is exactly why it is necessary for the heritage preservation department to take another look and assess the case truly comprehensively,” Besser stated.
      Other arguments include the fact that the proposal to declare the building a cultural monument was submitted by the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) in August 2003, but the ministry only initiated administrative proceedings nearly seven years later, which according to the minister "does not comply with the principle of good governance."
      The ministry also objects to the fact that the professional assessments of the monument's values were made, among other things, by the NPÚ and the Club for Old Prague, which, though they have professional qualifications, reportedly have a vested interest in declaring the building a cultural monument.
      Furthermore, it was allegedly completely overlooked that the rights of a participant acquired in good faith, especially in connection with planned investments in the area, were not addressed in the MK's decision-making. Additionally, the issue of future use and overall usability of the building itself, including the land on which it stands, was reportedly not adequately addressed.
      The Žižkov Freight Station remains under preliminary protection, which safeguards the building from demolition. The case is returned to the department of heritage preservation of the Ministry. "This does not mean that the station is now doomed to demolition. But it is necessary to consider the facts that were not taken into account in that first decision," Besser added.
      Housing for about 15,000 people is set to be built on the station's grounds. Developers also plan to construct office buildings and commercial spaces. The Sekyra Group, as well as Sudop Group and Discovery Group, intend to build in the premises. Czech Railways also has a financial stake in the project firms that are preparing projects for the station site. Additionally, the building is located in an area where, according to the developers’ plans, the Jarov Connector should lead. However, if the station were protected by the status of a cultural monument, it would prevent the demolition of the historic building and the subsequent construction.
      The civic association Tady není developerovo (Here is not a developer's land) warns that the station is a unique functionalist building that must not become a victim of developers' interests. An online petition for the preservation of the station and its reconstruction has been signed by thousands of people.