The parking garage next to its headquarters will be built by the Liberec Region, even if it is more expensive

Liberec – The Liberec Region will build a parking house next to its headquarters, even though the construction will be approximately 20% more expensive due to rising costs of building works and materials. This was decided today by the regional representatives at an extraordinary meeting. According to the estimates of the designers, the estimated cost has increased from 205.5 million crowns to 248.9 million crowns. For the region, this will mean an increase in co-financing of 28 million crowns, and it will also seek more in subsidies. According to preliminary estimates, it could obtain about 85 million crowns, while the rest will have to be paid from its own funds.

"The project came from an architectural competition in 2017, where the winner proposed the structure of the parking house to be steel. Unfortunately, in this situation, that means, because steel prices have gone up maybe by 30, maybe by 50 percent, an increase in the project's cost. But we believe that in the competition we will announce this autumn, we will eventually find a supplier who can bring some savings within their bid,” said the governor Martin Půta (Starostové pro Liberecký kraj) after the meeting to ČTK.

The parking house is intended to address the shortage of parking spaces around the regional office. According to the project, it will provide space for 244 vehicles, of which 144 spots are designated for the regional office and a hundred for the public. The building, which is to connect to last year's completed business incubator, will have a partially green roof. The region is applying for a subsidy for it from the Operational Program Environment, and it wants to obtain additional funds from the Integrated Plan for the Development of the Liberec – Jablonec nad Nisou area.

The construction of the parking house is another stage in the reclamation of the area surrounding the regional office. The neighboring buildings and land were purchased in 2014 by the Liberec Region from VÚTS (formerly the Research Institute of Textile Machines). They paid 125 million crowns for the area covering more than 11,000 square meters. The former administrative building was converted into the European House for almost 97 million crowns, and last year builders completed the reconstruction of the old workshop building for about 390 million crowns. A business incubator was created there, and there is currently also a large-capacity center for vaccination against coronavirus.

In the coming years, the neglected surroundings of the buildings, which today mainly serve as parking lots, will also be transformed, although their capacity is already insufficient for current needs. This issue is intended to be solved by the parking house. After its completion, the current parking lot and the waterfront of the Lužická Nisa should also be reclaimed. The region, together with the city, wants to transform the waterfront into a relaxation zone with access to the river. "Without the parking house and relocating those parking spaces into the parking house, it will not be possible to build parking, the wharf, and ensure access to the Lužická Nisa in the center of Liberec,” Půta stated.

Critics of the project have suggested that office workers should park in the nearby OC Forum. "We have received several responses from the owner of the center that they do not have enough parking spaces available to offer for long-term lease to the regional office,” Půta said.