The town hall in Ústí n.O has four plans for the use of the former textile factory Perla

Ústí nad Orlicí - The town hall in Ústí nad Orlicí has prepared four plans for the use of part of the former Perla textile factory site near the city center. The buildings that the town intends to keep are planned to be converted into a new children's and youth center, studios for the Secondary School of Applied Arts, and a Development Center for the education of primary and secondary school students and the public. The last building is expected to have cultural use, said Mayor Petr Hájek (Association Oušťáci) to ČTK.

"It could serve for organizing various conferences, but also as an exhibition space and gallery. It is an attractive building that should be created from the original boiler room, it has its industrial characteristic architecture," said Hájek. The town hall has already had documentation prepared for zoning proceedings. Ústí wants to obtain subsidies from European funds to realize its plans; the Pardubice region, as the founder of the institution, could apply for them for the studios of the applied arts school.

The city wants to retain about a third of the Perla site, primarily the street building, where the management of the textile factory used to be located. It intends to offer the remaining buildings and areas to private investors, who are already showing interest. "The process of long-term leases, or possibly sales, will begin in the spring, when the regulatory plan is approved," said Hájek. The location will be suitable for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and developers can build rental housing there.

The former textile factory was purchased by the town hall in 2010 for 30 million crowns. The factory went bankrupt a year earlier, previously employing 400 people. The site covers nearly 32,000 m², of which the built-up area represents over 27,000 m². Currently, part of the area consists of a parking lot, warehouses, a canteen, small manufacturing, and two shops, but a larger portion is still vacant.