Prague has a construction permit for the repair of the terrace at the C subway station Budějovická

Prague – The capital city has obtained a building permit for the reconstruction of the terrace above the C line metro station Budějovická. It is now waiting for the permit to take effect, after which it will continue with repairs preparations. This was announced today by the spokesperson for the city hall, Vít Hofman. The terrace was temporarily closed in January two years ago due to a state of emergency. The city aims to prepare a concept for the transformation of the area around the station in the future.

"The building permit has been issued and it should take legal effect this week. After it takes legal effect, we will continue with the construction preparations," Hofman stated.

The city has prepared documentation for the selection of a contractor. Prague councilor Jan Chabr (TOP 09) said at the end of January this year that after obtaining the building permit, the city will announce a public tender for the company that will repair the terrace. The costs are estimated at 40 million crowns. The start date for the repairs will depend on the progress and outcome of the tender process.

The main part of the repairs will be ensured by the capital city. This concerns the terraces and other spaces that are publicly accessible. Other parts will be resolved by their owners, for example, the House of Apartment Culture (DBK). The current city administration has signed a memorandum of cooperation with them.

In the future, the transformation of the area around the station should be addressed. This will be overseen by a city organization known as the city developer, whose establishment Prague is preparing. In the past, a study for redevelopment costing about 200 million was created. However, that did not materialize and the current city administration rejected it.

The terrace was built in 1977 and has never been repaired. Problems include, for example, leaking into the structure. The emergency state has been known since 2010. Additionally, the building legally belonged to no one. It was not until 2013 that officials from the Prague 4 city hall decided that it belongs to the capital city.

The passage near the southern exit from the metro was closed by Prague on January 22 two years ago. Three days prior, the exit from the metro was closed. The city hall wanted to demolish the terrace. After nearly ten months, it had it supported with braces, which are still at the exit from the metro, and the southern exit from the metro was reopened. The closure of the passage was initially opposed by DBK. Discussions regarding a possible sale of the terrace to the shopping center were futile. The Prague 4 city hall also opposed the closure at that time.