Plzeň residents rejected the giant shopping center in the referendum

Plzeň - Residents of Plzeň rejected the construction of a giant controversial shopping center in the city's very first referendum, which the investor wants to build on the site of the former cultural house on Americká Street. In the referendum, 41.4 percent of eligible voters participated, of which a majority rejected the project. A total of 26.7 percent of all eligible voters voted against the construction. This was reported to ČTK by City Hall spokesperson Zdeňka Kubalová.
     The referendum is valid and its result is binding for the city. The City Hall must immediately take all necessary steps to prevent the facility from being built.
     Out of 132,929 registered voters, 55,213 people participated in the referendum across ten districts, with 35,543 votes being against the construction of the Corso Americká center. More than 64 percent of all participants rejected the project. To be valid, at least 35 percent of eligible voters had to vote. The result is binding if more than half of the voters are in favor of it, which must also correspond to at least a quarter of all voters.
     "The city of Plzeň will now act immediately based on the results, even though it cannot be denied that this may bring significant costs to the city budget. The citizen has spoken, and the city will follow this," reacted Mayor Martin Baxa (ODS). He described holding the referendum as a great success for Plzeň, as a large number of citizens engaged in the discussion about the city's form and public space. "The steps that now await us have been presented as part of the information campaign before the referendum. Whether it involves purchasing the pertinent land from the investor, changing regulatory conditions, or modifying the zoning plan," Baxa stated.
     The representative of the investor, Amádeus, Jan Petřík, did not want to comment on what will happen next. He only mentioned that the result is not good news for the company nor for the city and its residents. "It is not possible to speculate now about what will happen in the following period. The question was so general that even the activists and the city could not agree on its meaning, so we will not anticipate further developments," he added in a statement sent to ČTK.
     Conversely, activists do not hide their enthusiasm, as they long advocated for the organization of the referendum and collected nearly 20,000 signatures in support of it. The court decided on the referendum only after the city councilors rejected it. "I am especially thrilled that Plzeň is the first large city in the Czech Republic where a successful referendum has taken place, moreover a referendum initiated by the citizens themselves. The people of Plzeň said they do not wish for another large shopping center in the city center," said Martin Marek, the spokesperson for the referendum's preparatory committee, to ČTK.
     The city must now terminate the lease agreement for the city-owned land on which the construction was to partially stand and without which it is not possible to continue the zoning process. "At the same time, I believe that the city must adopt a regulatory plan that stipulates that a commercial facility cannot be built in that area," he stated. He pointed out that the investor currently has no construction permits, only requested a zoning decision. Marek also mentioned that activists will monitor and oversee the city's next steps.
     Opponents argue that a multi-story complex worth 2.5 billion crowns will lead to the collapse of small retailers in the center, traffic jams, more noise, and dust. They disagree with its size of 35,000 square meters, which is nearly equivalent to ten Plzeň cathedrals. The city stated in its pre-referendum campaign that if construction could not proceed, it would have to purchase the three-hectare land from the investor at an estimated cost of 263 million crowns. This would jeopardize a number of investments and hinder support for public benefit organizations and services. Amádeus, as the owner of the three-hectare land, is not considering its sale. If it ever does, it would be "for billions of crowns," including the previously incurred costs of 330 million crowns and wasted investments.