Plzeň rejected the regulatory plan for the area of the cultural house by the Radbuza

Plzeň - Today, after several hours of discussion, the Plzeň city council rejected the proposal from the civic association Kultura(k) vítězí, which called for the development of a land use and regulatory plan for the area of the Inwest Cultural House on Americká Street in the city center. The regulatory plan would have been binding for future land use decisions. The councilors also almost unanimously approved the preparation of regulatory conditions, which they will reconsider.
     The civic association wanted the city to prevent the private investor and owner of the building from constructing another giant shopping center with a parking lot instead of a cultural house, which, according to conservationists, is not suitable near the city heritage reserve. The councilors agreed with this during the discussion; city leaders unanimously declared that only a shopping center would not be built there.
     More and more people are speaking out against the end of Inwest, the largest cultural venue in Plzeň. Recently, through the civic association's website, they sent emails to councilors with their opinions on the future of the attractive area in the center. Mayor Martin Baxa (ODS) received approximately 1000 of them, and other councilors received similar amounts. The emails contained requests from people to not demolish Inwest or for the city to purchase the building and create something of its own there. However, it is likely that a decision to demolish the cultural house has already been made. The last hope of supporters for the building was dashed in early June when conservationists did not support efforts to declare the 1986 structure a heritage site.
The request from the civic association for the development of a regulatory plan was supported, for example, by the opposition party TOP 09. As its member Tomáš Jílek stated, unlike regulatory conditions, the regulatory plan would have binding character.
The mayor's technical deputy Petr Rund (ODS) assured the councilors that the city is in talks with the investor who intends to build the center for hundreds of millions of crowns. Three working groups focused on traffic, architecture, and the cultural use of the area have been established. Experts are developing conditions that will be included in the conditions of the land use decision. "I want an architecturally quality building with quality content to grow on that site. The investor has changed his view of the project and agrees to include apartments, offices, sports facilities, culture, shops, and services for the residents," Rund listed. He reassured the councilors that the investor is interested in reaching an agreement on the multifunctional area.
"He is a private owner of the land and building; we are obliged to respect private rights. The issue is how to find some harmony between the interests of the investor and the interests of the city in relation to further development," the mayor added.
The civic association Kultura(k) vítězí collected over 1300 signatures against the demolition of the cultural house under their request. According to Martin Marek from the association, the proposed project would disproportionately increase traffic and noise on Americká Street. Inwest, colloquially known as the House of Horrors by the Radbuza River, along with the land beneath it, belongs to the private company Amádeus.
One of the largest cultural houses in the former Czechoslovakia has a capacity of 2000 people. Concerts, graduation balls, fashion shows, fairs, and conferences are held there. The huge building also hosts the Miroslav Horníček Theatre and several shops that have already vacated or will vacate their rental spaces by the end of June.