The referendum regarding the shopping center in Opava will not take place for now

The opponents of the construction, the associations Za Opavu and Bludný kámen, have so far collected 3,200 signatures. “We have decided to continue gathering signatures for a referendum proposal, which could take place independently at a different, later date,” Klimeš said. According to him, the option of combining the referendum with elections was ideal. “It would have been easier to bring the city's residents to the polls,” he said. He does not consider the lack of sufficient signatures to be a disappointment. “In hindsight, I understand it. Many people do not wish for the construction. However, they do not trust politicians. They feel that they cannot influence it,” he said.

According to him and his colleagues, Opava does not need another shopping center. “In terms of retail space per capita, we rank third in the country,” Klimeš said. He believes that the construction would negatively impact life in Opava. “It would significantly increase traffic congestion. Cars would drive through the most beautiful part of the city, right next to the Gothic cathedral,” Klimeš said. He thinks that the undeveloped area behind Slezanka should be used more meaningfully. “Many simply wish for a park there. I do not completely agree with that. I think a combination of residential development, a park, and the establishment of shops, cafés, and restaurants would be appropriate,” Klimeš said.

The project is to be realized by the development company Crestyl. They signed a contract regarding this with city representatives years ago. However, negotiations are still dragging on, and in the meantime, another shopping center has been built nearby - Breda & Weinstein. On an area of over 25,000 m², it offers space for more than 100 shops, a multiplex cinema with six screens, restaurants, and a café.

Representatives of Crestyl want to continue with the project. This week, they met with city officials. “They presented us with a sort of lighter version that does not consider complete development of the area and the utilization of the Slezanka complex,” the mayor Radim Křupala (ČSSD) told ČTK. Other coalition parties now need to familiarize themselves with this intention, and by the end of April, the city should provide the developer with a clear position on how to proceed, he said.

The contract with Crestyl was concluded by the then city representatives in 2005. According to it, the company is supposed to develop the land under the now-demolished high-rise building from the 1970s and the adjacent parks that were created in 1945 after the demolition of war-damaged buildings. Some residents of the city oppose its development. They wish for the area to remain a quiet zone. A petition to halt the project was signed by 1,300 people in 2011.

The contract is disadvantageous for the city primarily in that if it withdraws from it, it will have to pay the company. City representatives are willing to cover any potential real costs. They refuse to pay for lost profits. Klimeš would welcome such a solution. “It is better to pay some sort of fine than to suffer from some architecture that just drains the life out of the city for 200 years,” he said.