Prague councilors rejected the construction near the Intercontinental hotel

Prague – The councilors of the capital today expressed their disagreement with the planned construction on Miloš Forman Square next to the Intercontinental Hotel at the proposal of Prague Sobě. At the same time, they mandated the city's established Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) to file an objection against the building in the already commenced zoning proceedings. The building is being planned by its owners as part of the overall reconstruction of the hotel surroundings, which is opposed by some local residents. Prague Sobě has already unsuccessfully attempted to push through its disagreement with the construction at the city's council.

The Piazzetta named after the famous director is part of the Intercontinental Hotel's property, which was purchased in January 2019 through the R2G fund by entrepreneurs Oldřich Šlemr, Eduard Kučer, and Pavel Baudiš. After acquiring the hotel, the owners presented a plan for modifying its surroundings, which includes a glass building. Originally, it was supposed to have five above-ground floors, but after criticism, the investor reduced the number by two.

Former mayor and current opposition councilor of Prague 1, Pavel Čižinský (Prague Sobě), and his brother Jan, who is the chairman of the Prague Sobě council group at the city hall, a member of parliament, and the mayor of Prague 7, are actively opposing the construction. Today, Jan Čižinský managed to gain the support of the Pirates and they jointly overruled the representatives of United Forces for Prague (TOP 09 and STAN) at the council, most of whom abstained from voting. At the last council meeting, Prague Sobě was unsuccessful in pushing through a similarly formulated position. However, approval from the councilors is no longer necessary now.

According to the approved document, the area where the building is to be constructed is public space, and therefore the construction is undesirable. According to the zoning plan, only small commercial spaces can be placed in public spaces. However, the investor has previously obtained the consent of all necessary bodies and institutions, including the Prague City Hall and IPR. The city self-government does not decide on the construction permit; it can only file an objection as a participant in the proceedings. This is what the politicians mandated IPR to do today.

Representatives of the hotel owners are protesting against the resistance from the politicians, most recently in an open letter to Jan Čižinský. The chairman of the board of the R2G fund, Michal Smrek, stated, among other things, that Čižinský is in a conflict of interest because his mother lives near the piazzetta and he grew up there.

"This is a textbook example of illegal conduct by a politician in a conflict of interest who is trying to use his political influence and is pressuring the self-government bodies to retroactively challenge the already properly issued and legally binding consents of the relevant state administration bodies and IPR, with the aim of achieving their modification," the manager stated. Čižinský previously denied that this is a conflict of interest.

The current piazzetta was built in the past, but part of the houses was destroyed at the end of World War II and the rest was demolished at the end of the sixties. Currently, most of the space is occupied by ventilation and the entrance to the hotel’s underground garages, which should disappear after reconstruction. According to the investors, the new building will occupy 8.5 percent of the new area of the square. The space has been named after Miloš Forman since 2018.