Praha 1 will conduct a study of underground garages at Malostranské Square

Prague - Prague 1 will receive eight million crowns from the city hall for the creation of a study on the potential construction of underground garages in Malostranské Square. The allocation of the grant was approved today by Prague city councilors. The goal is to determine whether and to what extent garages can potentially be built.

The proposal to build underground garages at the square was made by the leadership of the district. In the past, Prague closed the surface parking lot in the lower part of the square and is preparing for its reconstruction.

It is not yet clear how much the study will cost and when it will be completed. If it turns out to be cheaper than the mentioned eight million crowns, the remaining funds will be returned to the city hall by Prague 1. Deputy Mayor Petr Dolínek (ČSSD) said this week that if built, the garages should serve only the residents of Prague 1.

The reconstruction of Malostranské Square will begin in the middle of this year with archaeological research and the repair of tram tracks, which will mean traffic restrictions. The work will subsequently last until the end of next year. The city hall aims to have all necessary permits by the end of May.

The city will be based on a project currently being completed by architects Martin Hájek, Václav Hájek, and Petr Horský. They won an architectural competition in 2014. According to their proposal, there will be fewer parking spaces in the square and more seating instead. A fountain will also be created, and the entire area is to be unified. In 2016, the city closed the parking lot in the square and attempted to organize cultural events there, but without much public interest.