The construction of the embankment at the Lusatian Neisse in Liberec will complicate movement near the regional office

Liberec - The construction of the riverbank at Lužická Nisa in Liberec and the reclamation of its surroundings will complicate movement around the regional office starting Wednesday. The project, costing 142 million crowns, is financed by the Liberec Region. It is already the second phase of the reclamation of the area surrounding the regional seat. A third phase, costing around 50 million, which will be funded by the city of Liberec, is expected to follow. The city is waiting for a building permit, which will delay it by about a year or two, said Mayor Jaroslav Zámečník (Starostové pro Liberecký kraj) during today's groundbreaking ceremony for the riverbank.

The riverbank is part of a billion-crown project to revitalize the lower center of Liberec. The project started in 2014 when the Liberec Region purchased buildings and land adjacent to its seat from VÚTS (formerly the Research Institute of Textile Machines). For an area of more than 11,000 square meters, it paid 125 million crowns. The riverbank follows the first phase, which included a parking building for 244 cars, opened by the region on January 2. The construction of the riverbank was supposed to begin in the spring; however, the project was delayed due to an appeal from one of the bidders for the contractor.

A significant change awaits the damaged areas around the regional office, which have so far served as a parking lot. The project includes a new direct entrance to the regional office via a footbridge, which was already considered in the original design by architect Zdeňek Plesník at the end of the 1960s. Workers will extend the access stairs; in addition to greenery and the footbridge, a refreshment area, public restrooms, a water feature, and a children's playground will be added to the regional seat. "The main thing is the descent to the Nisa, allowing visitors to go down to the river and dip their feet in the water,” said co-author of the project David Pavlišta from the studio re: architects.

"In 2014, we bought the whole remainder that didn’t belong to the region, as we originally only had that high-rise building," said Governor Martin Půta (Starostové pro Liberecký kraj). Gradually, the region refurbished the original administrative building into the European House, while former workshops transformed into a business incubator, which in recent years also served as a vaccination center during the COVID-19 pandemic and as a center for Ukrainians fleeing the war. The region primarily financed the projects from its own resources, and for the riverbank, it obtained nearly 60 million crowns from European funds.

The reclamation of the area surrounding the regional seat and the construction of the riverbank will be ensured by the Litoměřice company Gardenline, which has 330 days to complete the work. "Starting in such weather and before winter isn't exactly fortunate for us; there will be some additional complications. But I believe that we will manage this project as well," said the technical director of the company, Petr Skřivánek. Restrictions around the office will begin on Wednesday, September 18. Throughout the construction period, according to Skřivánek, corridors for pedestrians, deliveries, and security forces will be ensured.