Work on the construction of the parking garage at the seat of the Liberec Region will complicate parking

Liberec – The work on the construction of a parking garage near the Liberec Region headquarters will significantly complicate parking in this part of Liberec. The construction site will be handed over to the contractors on Monday, October 10, and the parking garage is expected to be completed within 12 months, Liberec governor Martin Půta stated today in response to a query from ČTK. The contract was awarded to a consortium of companies Metrostav DIZ and OHLA ŽS in a public competition, and the construction will cost the region 233 million crowns, including VAT.

Next to the regional headquarters, a parking garage with 244 car spaces will be built, of which a hundred will be designated for the public. Currently, there is space for 138 cars around the office, so parking capacity will significantly increase. However, during the construction period, the available parking spaces will decrease significantly, and the office is now negotiating with the operators of the nearby IQLandia amusement science center to secure parking space for the officials; according to the governor, additional space could be available near the heating plant.

The construction of the steel structure with a green roof was originally planned to start in April. The construction company BAK, which won the contract with a bid of 162 million crowns, announced at that time that it was unable to commence and complete the construction on time due to developments in the construction market. Gradually, other companies also refused the contract, forcing the region to repeat the competition and increase the estimated price due to rising construction materials and labor costs.

"We count on co-financing from the Liberec integrated development plan, i.e., IROP (Integrated Regional Operational Program), and that money must be used by the end of 2023. We expect that construction will start in October and be completed no later than next November," added the governor. The construction of the parking garage and the adjustment of its immediate surroundings is the first part of the overall project for the revitalization of the area around the Liberec Region headquarters.

The Liberec Region purchased buildings and land adjacent to its headquarters in 2014 from VÚTS (formerly the Research Institute of Textile Machines). The region paid 125 million crowns for the area of more than 11,000 square meters. The former administrative building was converted into the European House for 97 million crowns, and the reconstruction of the former workshop building was completed by builders two years ago for about 390 million crowns. A business incubator was established there, it served as a vaccination center during COVID, and since March 1, it has been serving the Regional Assistance Center for Ukraine (KACPU).

"We expect to start constructing the second part, which is the riverbank, the accessibility of the Nisa River, and generally the entire public space around the regional office next year. We are now working on obtaining the building permit, which involves approving several contracts with the Elbe River Basin Authority. I anticipate that if there are no delays, we would tender for contractors in the spring of next year, and it could be completed by the end of 2024," Půta added.