The construction of the new library in Hradec Králové will be delayed by appeals

Current state of the former Vertex factory

Hradec Králové - The commencement of construction of the new municipal library in Hradec Králové is being delayed by the appeal of the construction company VCES to the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS). The company is questioning the terms of the competition and the commission's procedures during the opening of bids. The city hall claims that the company's objections are unfounded. This was stated today by Deputy Mayor Josef Malíř.
    "The proceedings at the ÚOHS have begun, we are waiting for some formal matters," said Malíř. If the antitrust office rejects the company's objections, the start of construction would be delayed by his estimate for weeks. If the office ordered the cancellation of the competition, the delay would be measured in months. The city, which is partly funding the construction with EU grants, wants to start it this year.
    The competition for the library's construction was won by the Hradec company Stako with a bid of 137 million crowns excluding value-added tax. This was the lowest offered price. According to ČTK information, VCES did not place among the top three in the competition. A total of ten companies competed for the contract.
    The library will be created by converting the former Vertex factory, located in close proximity to the employment office building in the city center. The city hall purchased the unused factory site in 2003 for just under 30 million crowns. The study for its use as a library was then created by architect and actor David Vávra.
    The building is expected to retain an industrial character even after the renovation. Inside, the library will be equipped with modern library technologies, and it will include a lecture or exhibition hall, study rooms, and a café. The children's department is expected to resemble a Merkur construction set. Social events could be held on the flat roof of the building.
    The current municipal library is located in inadequate spaces and stores books in several facilities. Its main location in the historic city center currently offers only a fraction of the book collection totaling 650,000 units.