Prague 8 rejected high-rise buildings in Ďáblice and more floors for the existing ones

Prague - Prague 8 disagrees with new construction, potential sale of land, or increase in the number of floors of buildings in the Ďáblice housing estate. The city councilors approved the negative stance today. The reason is to prevent the construction of high-rise buildings with hundreds of apartments planned by the company CPI Reality of entrepreneur Radovan Vítek. Local residents have long protested against the construction. The Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) is preparing a zoning study for the housing estate, which will be completed this year. However, the first outputs of the study do not appeal to the town hall and the residents.

Deputy Mayor Jiří Vítek (Patriots for Prague 8) stated at the beginning of the discussion on the future of the housing estate that the town hall demands to maintain the number of floors of the current buildings, rejects densification of the housing estate with additional buildings, or does not agree with replacing buildings with civic amenities with buildings of other functions.

From the initial outputs of the zoning study, it follows that the architects divided the housing estate into an internal part, where construction should not take place, and an external part. On the very edge, they propose the construction of buildings with a maximum height of six floors.

However, the town hall and the residents do not like the construction plan. "We want some concept, but one that will protect this housing estate. It seems to us that it is not," said councilor Tomáš Slabihoudek (TOP 09 and STAN).

During the councilors' meeting, many residents of Ďáblice spoke out. In addition to the mentioned construction, they criticized that the study supposedly does not address parking, protection against summer overheating of the housing estate, or handling of rainwater. "When we saw the first proposals from CPI, we thought that someone had fallen on their head. And lo and behold! Four megalomaniac buildings will turn into twenty buildings," said resident Iva Štětovská. Some criticized the IPR's approach in creating the study.

Councilor of Prague 8 and the capital city Radomír Nepil (ANO) said he would propose to discuss the topic of the Ďáblice housing estate at the next meeting of the main city councilors.

The councilors of Prague 8 voted on the future of the housing estate already in 2017. Back then, they also rejected the construction of high-rises. The previous town hall leadership stated last year before the elections that it would seek a construction ban for the housing estate. At today's meeting, it was stated that they did not request its declaration and did not initiate it in any way.

The buildings are to rise on the site of existing structures on several plots, namely on Šimůnkova and Čumpelíkova Streets, between Tanvaldská and Střelniční Streets, and on Frýdlantská Street. According to minutes from the meeting between the investor and the residents, several hundred apartments are expected to be created in four buildings.