The CPI group has started the demolition of buildings at the Praha-Bubny station

Prague - The CPI Property Group of entrepreneur Radovan Vítek began the demolition of the dilapidated buildings of the Prague-Bubny train station this morning, including the historically protected parts. The information was confirmed to ČTK by the group's spokesperson Jan Burian. Prague 7 has labeled the demolition as barbarism. Mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO) later told ČTK that she met with Finance Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) together with the mayor of Prague 7, Jan Čižinský, this morning. They contacted CPI to request that at least part of the buildings be preserved. It is unclear how the owner of the dilapidated complex will respond to this.
    "I am trying to reverse the investor's decision regarding the use of the demolition order, which has been in effect for several years. I would like to preserve this historically valuable building for Prague," stated Krnáčová.
    Burian told ČTK this morning that the heritage protection applies only to the internal columns, which the company will preserve and hand over to the heritage authorities as agreed years ago. The work is expected to last up to three months. ČTK is seeking the current statement from the heritage authorities.
    "The buildings are in a catastrophic state, they are falling apart and homeless people and drug addicts inhabit them. The demolition order was issued five years ago and has been extended several times, most recently in December 2013, so its validity will expire at the end of this year," said Burian. According to him, the company plans to dismantle the buildings piece by piece like a construction set.
    The owner and investor of the buildings is the real estate group Orco Property Group, which has been struggling with major financial problems. This is why the project for construction at the Prague-Bubny train station has continually been postponed, as there was no money even for demolition. A change occurred only after the recent change in the company's ownership structure when entrepreneur Radovan Vítek effectively took control. It was his CPI group that Orco hired as the developer for the entire project.
    Orco Property Group's CEO Jiří Dedera stated that the demolition is in accordance with the long-term strategy and duly discussed and approved plan. "Orco made the demolition decision in April of this year. Preparatory work and a tender were conducted in the summer, and the selected company is starting the actual work just in these days. The condition of the properties has long been unsustainable, but the spirit of place in this location will not disappear, as significant architectural elements of industrial construction will be preserved and incorporated into the future shape of the project," declared Dedera.
    The city council primarily disagrees with the intention to demolish the former workshops of the State Railways, which they consider a technical monument. They claim to have been negotiating with the owner for six months. The last meeting, where the mayor attempted to postpone the demolition, took place on Saturday. "Although the studies accounted for the preservation of the workshops, they prepared for the demolition in silence for exactly half a year. We have no reason to know why they are demolishing the workshops now. The area is under a building moratorium, nothing will grow there for many years," Čižinský responded.
    Bubny, according to him, will lose a unique opportunity to combine the old with the new. Čižinský reminded that the building previously enjoyed the status of a cultural monument. He stated that the company is proceeding with disrespect towards the technical historical heritage. He compared the demolition to tearing down the winter stadium in Štvanice.
    The development area of Bubny-Zátory, located between the Vltavská and Nádraží Holešovice metro stations, is one of 15 large development areas of the capital city, for which a building moratorium applies. The owner of part of the land, Orco Property Group, plans to build a new district on 27 hectares. The project originally envisioned the construction of luxury and classic apartments, office spaces, a new school, a healthcare facility, and a university campus. A total of 1.2 million square meters of above-ground space is expected to be built, of which half will be office space and a third residential space.
    The operation of the Prague-Bubny station began in 1868, when the Buštěhrad Railway link to Masaryk Station was completed. The station also included an extensive depot, workshops, and a locomotive shed built between 1869 and 1873. The capacity of the station's facility, which was meant to relieve the depot at Masaryk Station, was up to 140 cars. The last reconstruction took place between 1956 and 1958. Operations ceased in 2000, and since then the buildings have been deteriorating.