Plzeň will repair the creative center DEPO2015 and the cultural house Peklo for hundreds of millions of CZK

Plzeň - Plzeň will renovate the cultural and creative center DEPO2015 for a quarter of a billion CZK, which is the former garage and maintenance facility for buses and trolleybuses, and approximately 500 million for the heritage-protected hall of the Peklo cultural house, formerly a workers' house. Renovations of the first of the two depot halls will begin no later than October, and the restoration of Peklo is already being designed, said Pavel Bosák (Pirates), deputy mayor, to ČTK today.

In DEPO2015, the city will restore the roof, the building envelope, windows, the glass dome, and the interior painting. "The construction site must be handed over by October 1 this year. At this moment, we have prepared 130 million CZK. The first phase will last a year," Bosák said. In the subsequent phase, the internal infrastructure will be renovated. "So we will replace the roof and the façade of one building, then the second hall, and right after that we will start digging inside," Bosák stated.

The city will start with the trolleybus hall, which contains exhibition spaces, creative workshops, and a café. The operation of DEPO2015 will not be interrupted. After the first hall closes, part of the operation will move to the second, and part outside. "After completing the first building, it will move back, and we can begin the renovation of the second hall," said the deputy. If additional funds from the surplus come, which is expected, the networks inside the hall can be reconstructed simultaneously.

The project, which was supposed to cost over a billion CZK according to the previous city leadership, has reportedly been significantly reduced in cost, according to Bosák. This is mainly because the entire Presslova street will not be renovated, and the depot's networks and sewage will connect to a closer intersection.

"We have 30 million CZK this year for Peklo's project, which could be ready by mid-year. Then we will apply for a building permit, and the actual realization should start in a year. In the budget outlooks, we have about 500 million CZK for the first part," the deputy said. The Plzeň studio Soukup Opl Švehla, which specializes in the reconstruction of monuments, is preparing a schedule and a restoration plan for historically valuable parts. "The first part will only be the hall and the adjacent building, maybe something in the upper part," he stated. The city wants to preserve as much as possible of the rare building.

For the second part of Peklo, which is optically larger but physically smaller, a new extension where the Patton Memorial Pilsen museum is currently located, there will be an architectural competition. "It is designed so that the buildings can be functionally and structurally separated, with one side allowing people to dance and have fun while the builders finish the other side," he said. Bosák could not estimate whether the second stage will be cheaper or more expensive than the hall. Architects may come up with an interesting solution that will become a pride of Plzeň. "And we will say: although it is more expensive, it will be such a significant improvement for the city, and we will go for it. But that will be more for our successors in the city hall," he added.

The total costs for Peklo, including parking and the surrounding area, should be around a billion CZK. The construction will proceed in phases. "If the city's needs are formulated correctly, the funding will be found. This is a purely public benefit project. And most importantly, we are saving a monument that has historical and sentimental value for the citizens of the city," said Bosák,

The city will move the Patton Museum to the building at Klatovská 19, which will be renovated for 200 million CZK in 2025. The project, which includes making the unique Loos interiors accessible, is currently being developed, and the city already has a 70 million CZK grant for brownfields and will soon announce a competition for the contractor.