Prague will add money for the expansion of the cemetery in Hostivař

Prague - The capital city will add 15.5 million crowns for the expansion of the cemetery in Hostivař, which has become more than twice as expensive compared to the original plan. The allocation of funds for next year was approved today by Prague councilors. According to the approved document, the original total amount requested by the Administration of Prague Cemeteries (SPH) was 14 million crowns. It has now increased to 29.5 million crowns. The reason is project modifications and higher construction costs.

SPH has a valid building permit for the expansion of the cemetery. Construction should therefore begin this year and be completed next year before All Souls’ Day. The original budget estimate according to the document was based solely on a study against which the plan for expansion had to be made. Furthermore, since its inception, construction costs have risen by 20 to 25 percent.

The architectural competition for the design of the cemetery expansion was announced by SPH in cooperation with the city’s Institute of Planning and Development in 2015, with results known from the middle of the following year. The winning proposal was from the team of authors Stanislav Krčmárik, Ľubica Lašáková, Lukáš Radošovský, Róbert Bakyta, Matúš Grega-Jakub, Peter Janeček, and Ivan Boroš.

The Administration of Prague Cemeteries manages approximately 230,000 graves in 29 cemeteries. About 40 percent of the graves are abandoned and unpaid. According to SPH, the capacity of Prague cemeteries is sufficient. Many cemeteries still have reserved areas for expansion, and 90 percent of burials are cremations, which means lower space requirements.