Praha 11 will seek a way to withdraw from the Ice Sports Arena project

Prague – The Mayor of Prague 11, Jiří Dohnal (Pirates), will call on the company AR Delta, in which the district is a shareholder, to return 35 million crowns. This was decided by the council of the district on Thursday. The funds provided by Prague 11 were intended to construct the Ice Sports Complex (ALS) near the Ke Kateřinkám primary school. It is to include, among other things, an indoor ice rink and curling lanes. The project is overseen by AR Delta, whose shareholders are AR Delta and the Prague 11 district. The construction of the sports facility is to be carried out by the company Syner for approximately 190 million crowns according to the contract. Prague 11 will now also seek a way to exit the ALS project and the joint-stock company without losing the funds it invested in the project. According to the councilors, the goal is also to ensure that the sports facilities can be used by the residents of Prague 11.

The resolution was supported by representatives of both the opposition and members of some coalition parties. In contrast, about ten councilors, including the mayor of the eleventh district, Dohnal, voted against it. "I am convinced that the easiest way for the district to protect and appreciate the total of 40 million crowns it has invested in the project is to complete it as quickly as possible," he said just before the voting.

AR Delta currently has a signed contract with the construction company Syner and with PPF Bank for a loan to finance the construction, according to Dohnal. The loan amounts to 135 million crowns, said Petr Přenosil. He is the new chairman of the supervisory board of AR Delta, which is to oversee the company's operations. According to Přenosil, the company now has the necessary contracts in place, which should enable the construction of the sports facility. The complex could thus open to students, residents of Prague 11, and others in the fall of 2022, he added.

The preparations for ALS began by a private investor in 2014. Construction work started in early 2019, with the expectation that it would cost approximately 120 million crowns and be completed by mid-2020. The municipality provided the company with land for construction, and the investor was supposed to build the sports facility at its own expense. Subsequently, AR Delta offered participation in the project to the capital city. It did not become a direct partner in the project, and the eleventh district got involved in the construction of the complex. Prague 11 thus became a shareholder in the company last year, acquiring a 50% stake. The municipality purchased shares in the company for five million crowns thanks to a grant from the Prague magistrate. An additional 35 million crowns was obtained by the municipality from Prague as an interest-free loan for capital increase in the company.

The supervisory board is tasked with overseeing the activities of the newly formed joint-stock company. The position of the chairman of this board was held by the deputy mayor of Prague 11, Martin Sedeke (ODS), from 2020 until this summer. He resigned from the position partly because the supervisory board approved contracts that he deemed risky for AR Delta. These are contracts for the construction contractor and providing a loan from the bank. This was previously rejected by the main project manager, Karel Kubeška. This year, three other members of the company's supervisory board also resigned. The district is now represented in the supervisory board by only one member instead of the four members nominated by various coalition parties. That is Přenosil, who was appointed to the supervisory board by the Pirates on behalf of the district.

The coalition of Pirates, ANO, ODS, TOP 09, and STAN governs in Jižní Město. The district, which has a population of 77,600, includes the cadastral areas of Chodov and Háje.