The construction of the arena in Jihlava should be completed by early October, and so far it is not exceeding the budget

Jihlava - The construction of the Horácká multifunctional arena (HMA) for 1.9 billion crowns is expected to be completed this October, on schedule. Its budget has not increased either, said David Beke (ODS), the city’s construction manager and Jihlava councilor, to reporters at the construction site today. He stated that the builders are currently working on several tasks, and the number of people on site will increase. The supports for the basic structure of the roof have already been removed, and the roof is now largely covered with trapezoidal sheets.

The roof structure has "settled" after the supports were removed and is now self-supporting. "Everything has been monitored by structural engineers and experts to ensure it behaves as expected. They confirmed that it does, so work has begun on completing and fitting it out, and so on," said Beke. Additional structural layers will be laid on top of the trapezoidal sheets, which form the first covering layer of the roof structure. "Not until the tartan surface of the running track, the oval," the councilor specified.

Builders are also working on the façade of the arena and the multifunctional corner building, on internal technology distribution systems, stands, and in some areas are doing masonry. The new building will not hide anything; all installations and cables will be visible, noted Beke. He added that the red stands represent the color of a beating heart. "Which says, this is where the main action happens in the arena, this is the center. Everything else is gray," he stated.

Currently, around 130 workers are on site, and their number will gradually increase to double due to the extent of the work. "Construction is progressing according to a schedule that is tight but still being adhered to," said Beke.

The construction of the arena began in the summer of 2023 with the demolition of the old ice rink, where a multifunctional complex is rising. Because of the construction in the center, workers have to deal with a lack of space. The contract for the city is being carried out by the company GEMO.

The arena will not only serve the Dukla hockey club; other sporting events and social occasions will also take place there. "This hall is special in that it will be quite cozy; the stands and all those parts are very packed into a small space, which enhances the comfort and flexibility for various types of events," said the councilor.

In the corner building being constructed with the arena, there will be accommodation, a shop, and a pub, as well as a gym and sports hall. It will be possible to walk through the new complex to the neighboring Smetanovy sady. The city is building the arena with the help of subsidies. The Vysočina region will contribute half a billion crowns, and the National Sports Agency will add another 300 million.