The construction of the embankment by the Lužická Nisa in Liberec is behind schedule, the competition is being addressed by the ÚOHS

Liberec - The construction of the riverbank at the Lužická Nisa in Liberec is facing delays, the competition for the contractor of the second phase of the landscaping around the seat of the Liberec Region is being addressed by the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS). The region received six bids in the competition, with the company CL-Evans winning with a bid price of 130.316 million crowns, which is almost one-fifth less than originally estimated by the designers. An unsuccessful bidder has challenged the outcome, said the governor Martin Půta (Mayors for the Liberec Region) to ČTK today.

The spokesperson for the antimonopoly office, Martin Švanda, confirmed that the office has been conducting administrative proceedings in the matter since February 19. "At the request of the contractor Gardenline s.r.o., which is complaining about the allegedly unlawful selection of the contractor. A first-instance decision has not yet been issued," Švanda stated in response to ČTK's inquiry. According to the governor, however, the company offered a price approximately ten million higher than the winner, and ČTK is seeking a statement from Gardenline.

The construction of the riverbank is part of a billion-crown project for the revitalization of the lower center of Liberec. It began in 2014 when the region purchased buildings and land adjacent to its seat from VÚTS (formerly the Research Institute of Textile Machines). The region paid 125 million crowns for the area, which spans more than 11,000 square meters. The riverbank follows the first phase, which included a parking garage for 244 cars, opened by the region on January 2. The construction of the riverbank was meant to follow, in the second phase, the damaged areas around the regional office, which have until now served as a parking lot, will undergo significant changes as well.

The project will also include a new direct entrance to the regional office via a footbridge, which was already included in the original design by architect Zdeněk Plesník in the late 1960s. Workers will extend the access staircase, and apart from green areas and the footbridge, there will be refreshments, public toilets, a water feature, and a playground. "The main feature is the descent to the Nisa, allowing visitors to walk down to the river and dip their feet in the water," said project co-author David Pavlišta from the re: architects studio to ČTK earlier.

The Liberec Region began the reclamation of this part of the city ten years ago when it purchased buildings and land from VÚTS. It has already invested half a billion crowns into the conversion of the former administrative building into the European House and the reconstruction of the former workshops, which now house among other things a business incubator and an archive. The parking garage cost an additional 246 million crowns. Part of the costs for the revitalization of the site, however, have been covered by grants. According to the governor's deputy Zbyněk Miklík (Pirates), the region has a chance to obtain around 25 million crowns for the riverbank as well, depending on the amount of greenery.