Mayor of Pardubice: EU grants can be drawn for the Automatic Mills

Pardubice - European subsidies will be available for the repairs of the Pardubice Automatic Mills, which became a national cultural monument at the end of May. Mayor Štěpánka Fraňková (Coalition for Pardubice) told reporters today that this is information that could convince her to vote in favor of purchasing the premises.
    "I am probably too practical, however very realistic. If there is an opportunity to open a program for the revitalization of a national cultural monument, it seems real to me and I can imagine that it could be seriously resolved by the city," Fraňková said.
    The mills have been abandoned since last year when production ceased there. The company GoodMills initially offered the property to the city for 40 million crowns. The city's estimate has reduced the price of the premises to 17 million crowns. A new assessment by the owner is likely to be similar.
    The city has not yet clearly stated whether it will buy the mills or whether it wants to cooperate with another buyer. GoodMills is still negotiating with other potential investors interested in the property. Other interested parties have also approached the city.
    Further joint negotiations should take place in the near future, added Fraňková. According to her, the owner of the premises has shown interest in vacant land in the city where he could build new mills. The city has offered him the Hůrka premises, which is mostly abandoned.
    The Automatic Mills were designed by architect Josef Gočár and were built between 1910 and 1925. They are inspired by Anglo-Saxon architecture, characterized by its facing brickwork of light and dark bricks. Additional extensions from other decades of the last century are no longer protected as monuments.
    Last year, the city entrusted a working group with examining possible uses for the premises. At the same time, it recently approved regulations to indicate to any potential investor the direction of transformation for the area. However, the group Mlýny previously criticized the city for its indecisive approach.