Pardubice is preparing a tender for the renovation of the summer stadium

Pardubice – The city of Pardubice could soon announce a tender for the renovation of the summer stadium for 430 million crowns. The actual construction should begin next year. Martin Charvát (ANO), the mayor, said this to the Czech News Agency (ČTK). The project has opponents not only in the opposition due to its high cost, who want to stop it through a referendum.

The city council should approve the terms of the tender on June 15. The company that wins the tender will finalize the project but must comply with the conditions of the zoning decision and the Czech Football Association (FAČR). The summer stadium will have parameters for the highest football league, which it currently does not have.

"The company will then submit the project for our approval. They have the option to propose material modifications or arrangement of technologies. The actual construction will start next year. This year, the company could begin preparatory work, demolition. They have a fixed price set, they have no chance to negotiate it," said the mayor.

The topic of renovating the summer stadium designed by architect Karel Řepa has been discussed by politicians repeatedly for many years. The costly investment has been opposed by the civic-political initiative "I Don't Want a Stadium on Debt."

Some believe, for example, that the city should have built the stadium elsewhere and made different use of the sports facility in the city center. People from the initiative believe that such a large investment should be decided by the public in a referendum. Therefore, they are collecting 7,000 signatures necessary for its organization.

The costs of 430 million crowns are the first phase. The city will not repair the surrounding streets near the stadium for now; the municipality has also excluded the Gate of Warriors, which is a cultural monument, from the project. Deputy Mayor Petr Kvaš (ODS) would not invest so much money in the summer stadium, as he believes Pardubice does not need a league football stadium.

"We do not necessarily need it; a second-league stadium would be sufficient. If the tender process has started at this moment, we will strive to ensure that all budgetary resources are spent efficiently. And we will ask whether we need to invest in other things after the coronavirus crisis," Kvaš said.