Příbram city councilors approved the costly reconstruction of the aquapark

Příbram - Příbram city councilors today gave the green light to the expensive reconstruction of the aquapark. Out of the five proposed options for renovating the interior, they chose the most extensive one, which includes the addition of a relaxation and sauna area covering 1,000 square meters and an expansion of the pool hall by two swimming lanes. The costs will rise to a quarter of a billion crowns, and the city plans to take out a loan for the project. Following today’s approval of the plan, work on the project documentation can begin. There will also be a future vote on the loan and the approval of the reconstruction itself.

The renovation of the outdoor area, on the other hand, is currently being postponed. In this case, the councilors leaned towards the most economical option, which only includes the construction of a children’s paddling pool, changing rooms, toilets, and a refreshment area. The proposed extensive renovation of the outdoor pool into a summer aquapark or biotope did not resonate with them.

Councilor Ivan Šedivý from the opposition ODS stated that a study assessing the need for investments in the city should be conducted first and should serve as a basis. "I understand that every mayor wants to create some monument, but at this price?" he said. "The coalition did not want any monument to remain after it, but the complaints about the state of the pool were the impetus," countered councilor Václav Dvořák (ANO).

According to him, something needs to be done about the deteriorating condition, and it is a question of whether merely "patching holes" will suffice. Most of the other councilors also expressed the opinion that reconstruction would be necessary. "Either we close the aquapark, or we need to invest some money into it," stated Deputy Mayor Václav Švenda (TOP 09).

Šedivý reminded that there are other facilities in Příbram that also need repairs, such as schools or the Ernestinum Castle. He pointed out that the loan will be a commitment for 15 years and will be repaid by four councils. However, according to the city leadership, it is more advantageous to carry out the more expensive reconstruction, as the invested funds will be returned through increased attendance.

The author of the economic analysis, Radek Steinhaizl, stated that the facility is 39 years old, technologically outdated, and offers nothing other than the possibility of swimming. The indoor pool is visited by 120,000 people annually. Revenue is around 10.5 million crowns, but this is far from sufficient to cover costs - the operating loss is 5.2 million crowns. With a higher investment, the city leadership expects the attractiveness and profitability of the facility to increase. Just through the basic reconstruction costing 120 million, which would not expand the service offerings, Švenda believes the current loss should decrease by two million crowns. In the case of a reconstruction costing 250 million crowns, a profit of six million CZK is expected.