Prague wants to start the reconstruction of Wenceslas Square in April

Prague - Despite the complications caused by the spread of the coronavirus, the Prague City Hall plans to begin the reconstruction of the lower part of Wenceslas Square in April. The spokesperson for the city hall, Vít Hofman, informed ČTK about this. The handover of the construction site to the company Hochtief, which will carry out the work, started last week. According to the spokesperson, the city is also addressing the issue of the remaining vendors who do not have a contract and refuse to leave the square.

The reconstruction concerns the part of the square from Můstek to the exits of Vodičkova and Jindřišská streets and will cost the city approximately 326.6 million crowns. The space for pedestrians is to be expanded at the expense of cars, and features such as drinking fountains or greenery are to be added. The repair will be carried out based on the project by the architectural office Cigler Marani Architects, which was created back in 2005. In the future, the upper part of the square will also be renovated, where, according to the city leadership's plans, trams are to return.

"We are all aware of the seriousness of the situation regarding the coronavirus, but on the other hand, we want to help the economy and start building. However, the operating hours at the offices and the limited possibility of personal meetings are problematic," stated Hofman. According to him, minor delays cannot be ruled out, but the goal is to start the work in April.

The city hall has been dealing for a longer time with the remaining stalls, whose operators, despite the absence of a lease agreement, refuse to vacate their places in Wenceslas Square. The contracts of all vendors ended at the end of 2016 based on an amendment to the city market regulations, and since then, legal efforts by the city to evict them have been obstructed. "In this case, the coronavirus could have played a partially positive role, as one of the last vendors in Wenceslas Square, who refused to leave, voluntarily ended his operations because he had no customers," explained Hofman.

Wenceslas Square is 682 meters long and approximately 60 meters wide. Originally named Horse Market, it was established by a decree of Charles IV. In the 19th century, it was first renamed St. Wenceslas Square and later to Wenceslas.