Praha 2 has started work on the construction of a sports facility at the Na Smetance school

Prague - The Prague 2 city council has started work on the construction of a new sports facility in the grounds of the Na Smetance school in Vinohrady. This was announced today by the council spokesperson Lenka Prokopová. According to previous statements from the council, costs are expected to be 21.3 million crowns, of which 16 million is a subsidy from the municipality. A community garden had been in the area since 2013, where local residents grew vegetables and hosted social events. This had to be discontinued nearly two years ago.

"On a plot of land measuring 2419 square meters, which belongs to the city district, a multifunctional sports field for ball games will be created. The new field will serve as a sports facility during physical education classes and extracurricular activities for students of the Na Smetance elementary school. Gradually, it will also be used by children from other elementary and kindergarten schools in Prague 2," Prokopová said. The field will also be open to the public, especially on weekends and in the evenings.

The council has already issued a building permit for the construction of the field. Construction was supposed to start several months ago, but protests from civic and environmental groups prevented this. Currently, work is complicated by the fact that workers must avoid trees for which cutting permits have not yet been issued. Operating costs for the field, including an inflatable hall, are estimated to be around 300,000 crowns per year.

The community garden that was previously on the plot operated for about three years. Approximately three hundred people contributed to its operation and they paid 24,000 crowns annually for the rental of the land. People were gathering signatures against the eviction from the plot in 2016. Since the closure of the garden, the plot has remained unused.