Plzeň does not want the U Zvonu gallery, it has withdrawn from the contracts with the region for the rental of spaces

Plzeň - Today, the representatives of Plzeň rejected the construction of a regional gallery in the center, in the area of U Zvonu, which the Plzeň Region had been preparing since 2009. They withdrew from contracts with the region and its West Bohemian Gallery (ZČG) for the lease of the land. The current city leadership does not want the gallery with the depot at U Zvonu and wishes to preserve the open space with plane trees there. The region recently announced that it would build new gallery facilities in the former baths in Plzeň, and at the same time did not meet the deadlines in the contracts, said mayor Roman Zarzycký (ANO) to ČTK.

The opposition from ODS and TOP 09, who were against it, said a resolution from the regional council or the regional assembly stating that they do not want the gallery U Zvonu was missing to withdraw from the contract. Governor Rudolf Špoták (Pirates) told ČTK that such a resolution would not be approved by the regional leadership and respects today’s verdict of the city. "We did not fulfill the conditions of the contract, and they are now logically terminating it," he stated. He added that the region wants to renovate the baths, which it bought last year, by 2026 and build a gallery and a depot there.

"The designers are currently working on a study that will serve as the basis for the Design & Build tender - for the designer and contractor as one entity. We want to announce it by the end of the year," he said. The reconstruction of the dilapidated baths is expected to cost 1.5 billion CZK. According to Špoták, the regional leadership was supposed to ask Plzeň for an extension of the contract by the end of last year and provide the necessary documents, but they knew that the new city coalition did not want the gallery there.

Thus, the new ZČG building will not be created at U Zvonu. The previous regional leadership had a building permit valid until September 2024, and spent over 30 million CZK on projects and preparation. According to the mayor, the lease contract for the land had already been extended five times, and the past city and regional leaderships had 12 years to build the gallery at U Zvonu. Over the years, however, its price rose from several hundred million to 1.5 billion CZK. "The region clearly announced its intention to renovate the baths and use them for collections as well. We are in favor of this, and we promised our support to the region," he stated.

In 2009, Plzeň entered into a lease agreement with the region for the construction and gallery for valuable collections of the ZČG. The lease was set for five years, then indefinitely. The contract stipulated that the lessee must complete the construction by March 31, 2023. The previous regional leadership applied to the city last year for an extension of the deadline to March 31, 2028, which according to councilor Petr Suchý (TOP 09) expressed the region's intention not to abandon the project. "Our coalition does not support the gallery U Zvonu, and the new regional leadership fully agrees with us," the mayor stated. Councilor Pavel Šindelář (ODS) considers the unilateral withdrawal from the contract unfortunate, as the city lacks a written statement from the region. It would be appropriate to terminate the contract by mutual agreement, he added. The opposition today proposed to withdraw the material and also argued about possible compensation for damages due to the thwarted investment, which the city lawyer rejected.

"The gallery does not belong at U Zvonu and is against the will of many Plzeň residents. The prefabricated concrete building is already outdated, and we are still in an energy crisis," the mayor stated. He wants to keep the plane trees at U Zvonu and cultivate part of the space on the proposal of experts so that children could play there, for example.