Pardubice will pay 30 million CZK more for the summer stadium; they want to improve it

Pardubice – The city of Pardubice will spend approximately 30 million crowns more on the modernization of the summer stadium than originally planned, as it intends to further improve its facilities. The sports venue will feature, for instance, retractable seating for spectators and a more durable lawn on the field. The additional costs will be covered by tax optimization, which will be applied to the project and consists of VAT deductions. This will provide funds for extra work and project upgrades. Mayor Martin Charvát stated this to ČTK. The total costs will be around 380 million crowns.

"We have performed tax optimization. Thanks to this, we will improve the facilities for spectators, enhance the quality of the lawn, extend its lifespan, and we are negotiating improvements to the conditions on the multipurpose field, where we expect it to be utilized not only by footballers but also by hockey, small-sided football, and other sports," said the mayor.

"The VAT deduction is conditional on the operational model. It must be managed by the respective user," said council member Petr Klimpl, adding that it cannot be sublet. "The main part of the stadium will be owned by the city, and the lease agreement will be with FK Pardubice for 365 days a year. The second operator will be the Development Fund Pardubice, which will be in charge of the training area," Klimpl added.

Construction company Porr has been working on the modernization of the summer stadium since April of last year. New stands are under construction around it, and the company is also renovating the main stand. "The western stand is a heritage-protected structure, and the rough construction is already completed. The other stands – northern, southern, and eastern – will have roofing, and we're finishing the lighting on them," said project manager Michal Věříš from Porr.

The stands in Pardubice are made of monolithic concrete construction. They are pre-manufactured and assembled on site. Seating for spectators will not be in a continuous ring like elsewhere. There are gaps between the stands. "There is a possibility to complete the stadium; the original design anticipated 4600 spectators, but it could be expanded to nearly double the number of spectators if the stands on the vacant corners are completed," Věříš said.

According to the project manager, the prefabricated structures of the stands can be constructed more quickly. "They were manufactured in heated halls during winter, ensuring the correct thermal comfort. The assembly is then quicker for installation," he added.

The company must prepare extra work and modifications ordered by the city to meet the deadline. The stadium is expected to be completed in January 2023. "At the request of the football club, the facilities in the main stand are being improved; snack boxes were not originally included in the plan. The fixed seats will then be replaced with retractable ones. They will fit in the space," said Dušan Čížek, a member of the board of Porr.

The construction company is still negotiating with the city regarding additional work worth several million crowns. There was supposed to be solid ground under the western stand, but there was previously a landfill of debris there. "It was discovered that our ancestors placed debris under it before building the stand. The building cannot be founded on that; we had to change the foundation method, and we are asking the city for a price increase of several million crowns," Čížek said.

The construction company will also build retaining walls from U Stadionu street and Václav Havel embankment; it awaits the installation of lawns, completion of stand facilities, and the execution of plaster and exterior facades, Věříš added.

The summer stadium dates back to the 1930s, and its design was created by Karel Řepa and Ferdinand Potůček. At the center was a football field, surrounded by a 400-meter-long cinder athletic track and a 500-meter-long cycling oval with banked turns, which no longer exists today.