The reconstruction of the Exhibition Grounds can begin, the councilors have decided

Prague - The Prague Exhibition Grounds may be rebuilt, as the representatives of the capital city today approved the concept for the redevelopment of the area. The reconstruction will affect the pathways within the grounds, the surroundings, and the overall internal layout. It is not yet clear how much the reconstruction will cost or how long it will take.
Prague intends to combine operations and activities at the Exhibition Grounds that will generate income with activities whose operation will meet the social, cultural, recreational, sports, educational, and other needs of the city's citizens and visitors.
The concept is based on the fact that the southern part of the grounds towards Holešovice includes monuments that will be reconstructed, including the burned Industrial Palace. It is to be restored to its original form with multifunctional use.
No new buildings are to be created in the northern part, as it is largely a floodplain area where permanent structures cannot exist. This part should serve, for example, for hosting festivals. A new stop is also to be created on the track from Prague to Kladno near the Exhibition Grounds.
In the past, the area has been used for organizing the Matěj Fair, concerts, conferences, exhibitions, and trade fairs, but it has not been fully utilized. The current structure and routing of the communications within the Exhibition Grounds, which originate from the reconstruction in 1991, are inadequate. In the future, the pathways should respect the historical layout and better connect the various parts of the area.
A part of the current fencing around the sports hall is also set to disappear. Conversely, the fence between Stromovka and the grounds is to be preserved, but it will feature more entrances. Increased accessibility should help boost visitor numbers, for example, at Marold's Panorama of the Battle of Lipany. "If we reduce the barrier between the area and Stromovka, it will also create a link to the planetarium," said Deputy Mayor Václav Novotný.
The internal area will be divided into zones according to the predominant activities. There should be five: a cultural zone, an open-air and amphitheater zone for cultural and commercial events, a leisure zone, and a sports zone.
The Exhibition Grounds are currently leased by Incheba until the end of this year. In the future, it will only host some exhibitions at the Exhibition Grounds and will no longer manage it. This responsibility will be taken over from January 1, 2015, by the company Development Projects Prague, which is wholly owned by the city of Prague. According to Novotný, the city already needs an established functioning company that will, for example, sign new contracts with tenants for 2015.