Praha 6 will prepare a competition for the center in Šatovka by the end of August

Prague - Prague 6 is preparing an architectural competition for the design of a senior center in Šatovka by the end of August. City officials agreed on the resolution on Wednesday, spokesperson Ondřej Šrámek informed ČTK. In March, Prague representatives approved a change to the zoning plan, which allows the district to renovate the abandoned building and operate a community center with senior housing in it. The dilapidated estate in the Šárecké valley has been unused for the last few years and requires extensive reconstruction.

"The city hall's vision already has quite specific outlines, as several graphic visualizations have been created during the endless wait for the zoning plan change," said Šrámek. In 2011, the district applied for a change to the zoning plan so that it could use the estate according to its intentions. This March, Prague representatives approved the change of the building's functional use from purely residential to a public facility.

Prague 6 has taken Šatovka under management for social use. According to the city hall, Šatovka should be a place for meetings and lectures, especially for seniors. Smaller homes for permanent senior housing are expected to be built around the estate. Prague 6 aims to finance senior housing with social services, a community center, and a dining operation through its own resources using grants. The district plans to operate the housing through its caregiving service.

A report from 2015 indicates the poor condition of the estate, showing that structural integrity is seriously compromised and that the roof structures are infested with dry rot. The last time the rooms in Šatovka were used was in 2015, when tenants of the non-residential spaces moved out. The last people to reside in the building moved out in 2011.

In early February, a group of squatters occupied the estate in the Šárecké valley for a week to draw attention to its unused status. They wanted to create a space for people who create, educate themselves, and want to live without the necessity to own, profit, and generate income. According to the police, their occupation of the building constituted a criminal offense and the District Court for Prague 6 sentenced nine squatters to community service. The activists faced up to two years in prison. The verdict is not yet final, and the defendants have appealed against it.