Pardubice want to continue negotiations on the purchase of Gočár's mills

Pardubice - Pardubice want to continue negotiations with GoodMills Česko regarding the purchase of the monumentally protected Automatic Mills. The company ended its operations at the site in the spring and offered it to the city for 40 million crowns. However, this amount is too high for the city, and an expert assessment estimated the price at 17 million crowns.
    The company originally limited its offer until the end of this year. Today, the councilors approved for Deputy Mayor František Brendl and Michal Koláček to conduct further negotiations with the owner. In addition, they also tasked them with finding a strategic partner and defining the optimal share of the city in transforming the Automatic Mills into a facility serving the public interest. The councilors also instructed the department of the chief architect to prepare regulations for the development of the Automatic Mills site.
    After production ceased, there was unexpected public interest in the site. Civic associations and Divadlo 29 organized a multi-genre festival called Automatic Cultural Mills from May to October, which was attended by more than 4,300 viewers. In response to changes at the mills, an initiative called Mills for the City! emerged at the beginning of the year, aiming to lead an open discussion about the future of the site.
    Some councilors had also previously urged caution regarding the purchase, without the city having a clear use for the property. For example, Petr Klimpl (ODS) pointed to the area of the former Tesla in Kyjevská Street, which Pardubice obtained free of charge from the Pardubice Region. The city anticipated significant development, and a study for its use was prepared, including a proposal for access to the site, but no buyer was found. Meanwhile, the maintenance and security of the city cost about 1.5 million crowns a year. "It is a ruin ready to be torn down, and no one knows what to do with it," Klimpl said.
    The mills are one of the first and most famous designs by Josef Gočár. They were built between 1910 and 1925 on an area of 10,000 square meters at the confluence of the Elbe and Chrudimka rivers. Gočár was inspired by Anglo-Saxon architecture when designing the mills. The buildings are characterized by raw brickwork made of dark and light bricks. Recently, the site was proposed for the list of national cultural monuments.