Prague is considering launching a concession tender for the Old Town Market

Prague - The Prague City Hall is considering issuing a concession procedure for the reconstruction and operation of the Old Town Market. Jan Chabr (TOP 09), the city councilor for property, said this to reporters today. The city initially wanted to repair the market itself for more than half a billion crowns, but in the end, the councilors disagreed at the beginning of the year and did not approve the reconstruction. The concession, in which the operator would cover the reconstruction in exchange for, for example, subsequent free use, was already considered by the city in the previous electoral period.

The monumentally protected building from the late 19th century is located between Rytířská and 28. října streets. The City Hall closed it at the beginning of last year due to the planned reconstruction. The original estimate for the repair costs was 366 million crowns not including VAT, but from the two submitted bids, the final price came to 429.9 million crowns excluding tax. The price and form of the tender were subsequently criticized by, for example, the Pirates, and the city leadership ultimately did not approve the awarding of the contract.

Chabr said today that the city hall is considering reopening the space with only minor adjustments, which are complicated by the internal layout of the hall insensitively modified during the previous regime. According to him, a better solution would be to find a private operator. "We have several interested parties who have indicated interest. We do not want to go the route of direct leasing, but rather a concession procedure," he said. He added that he would like to approve the next steps by the end of the year.

The unapproved reconstruction was to include a complete transformation of the interior hall and also the building next to the entrance to the market, which had previously served as storage. It was to become a glazed showcase where goods would be exhibited or refreshments sold. The second passage from Rytířská Street was also to be renovated. A back-office for the market was planned on the underground floor.

The market was built between 1894 and 1897 based on the design of architect Jindřich Fialka, who was particularly inspired by Paris. Similar markets can be found in Barcelona, Dresden, Budapest, or Berlin.