Construction of a new sports hall in Frýdek-Místek could begin this year

Existing hall condemned to demolition

Frýdek-Místek - The new multipurpose sports hall Polárka, which primarily includes an ice rink, could begin construction in Frýdek-Místek as early as this year. The city wants to select the final contractor for the construction through an electronic auction. The cost of building the hall is currently estimated at around 390 million crowns, but city officials expect that the electronic auction will result in savings amounting to tens of millions of crowns, said Deputy Mayor Michal Pobucký (CSSD) to reporters today.
According to him, the city has announced a public competition in which interested parties from across the European Union can participate, provided they meet the entry requirements. For example, they must have four references for construction work amounting to 150 million crowns, two references for sports facilities worth 50 million crowns, and one reference for the ice rink worth 20 million crowns. Applicants who meet these conditions can then compete in the electronic auction.
"Part of this construction is also a supplier loan that the company will provide us. If the city council wishes, it can decide that the city will pay, for example, thirty million crowns annually for ten years," Pobucký stated. The city council is expected to decide on the financing method for Polárka at an extraordinary council meeting, likely to be convened in May, by which time the winner of the electronic auction should also be known.
The new sports hall, along with a leisure and shopping center, is expected to replace the multipurpose sports hall in Frýdek-Místek by the Ostravice River, which has been one of the city's landmarks for approximately 40 years. In 2009, the city signed a future contract with the development company Euro Mall FM, which is to demolish the hall at its own expense and build a shopping center in its place.
Due to the demolition of the old hall, the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA) has now contacted the city, urging its leadership to reconsider the demolition plan. "The building is among the most significant sports buildings in the region and is an important symbol of the city. Its replacement with a multifunctional center is unlikely to be an adequate substitute for the loss of quality architecture," said ČKA spokesperson Markéta Pražanová in a press release.
Pobucký stated that the ČKA based its position on two documents, neither of which was prepared directly by an architect. According to the deputy, one document was created by architectural and art historian Martin Strakoš, and the second document is a student work. "Neither of the materials is an assessment prepared by a professional architect," he stated. On the other hand, according to Pobucký, the city does have such an assessment, which indicates that the multipurpose hall does not belong among the buildings that should be preserved from an architectural perspective.
Pobucký added that Polárka can begin construction independently of the plans of the private developer. The new hall is to be built next to the existing one, and therefore the two projects are not time-bound to each other.