Plzeň will preserve the cultural center and archive Světovar for two years

Plzeň's Světovar, state before 1922; source: pivovary.cz

Plzeň - Plzeň will temporarily halt the cultural factory 4x4 and archive project in the former Světovar brewery for two years. The cultural factory and archive was one of the projects for the European Capital of Culture 2015. The city halted construction in spring due to harmful tar and cork insulation in the walls and floors of the complex. The city hall has already spent tens of millions of crowns on Světovar. Now, the councilors have decided to preserve the project. However, the councilors anticipate that the archive, which the city needs, could be built in Světovar after adjustments to the project, deputy mayor Pavel Šindelář (ODS) told reporters today.
    "Preservation does not mean a complete burial of the project. The archive is needed, it makes sense, it fits into the area, we have a project for it that just needs to be finalized," he said. According to him, the cultural factory project is currently dead. The city urgently needs an archive, as its archival license was supposed to expire at the end of the year due to completely inadequate conditions in the current city archive. As deputy mayor Martin Baxa (ODS) told councilors, the city has achieved an extension of the deadline and thus is not at risk of having to transfer its valuable archival materials to other archives. "However, the Ministry of the Interior will closely monitor whether we are taking action regarding the archive," Baxa said.
    The councilors were deciding between two options - either to preserve Světovar or to complete it. The first option would cost the city 112 million crowns, including the 80 million already spent, five million for preservation, 14 million for remediation, and other estimated expenses. The completion, including the already spent money, would cost about 370 million crowns.
    Šindelář is convinced that after adjustments to the original project, it will be possible to proceed with the archive. "I can imagine that an archive will be created in that tall building, perhaps some additional activities as well, and we will seek another program for the smaller building," he said. There is still money for Světovar in next year's budget.
    Mayor Martin Zrzavecký (ČSSD) also confirmed that the city is still considering the archive and looking for uses for the remaining parts. In the pre-election campaign, the ČSSD, for instance, suggested that a city brewery could be established again on the premises.
    Šindelář now has to negotiate on behalf of the city with the Světovar association, which was supposed to carry out the construction work, to withdraw from the contract. It is still unclear what financial costs this might entail for the city.