The construction company wants more money from Letohrad for the modernization of the cultural center

Letohrad - The modernization of the cultural center in Letohrad in the Orlickoústecko region will be more expensive. The construction company is demanding reimbursement for more expensive building materials and additionally wants 17.4 million crowns. According to Mayor Peta Fiala (Association for Letohradsko), this is a lot, and the town hall will negotiate about the price. He stated this to ČTK.

"The total price was 227 million crowns, and they want an additional 17.4 million crowns. We will negotiate with them, I think we might meet somewhere in the middle," Fiala said.

The company contractually guaranteed the bid price, but the situation has changed significantly due to high inflation. "We have a legal opinion from a public procurement expert, and he also says that it is now common for those who built in 2021 and 2022 to encounter problems. The expert recommends negotiating with the contractor," the mayor said.

The cultural center dates back to the 1960s. After modernization, it will have an expanded stage, the tiered seating will remain, but they should be more comfortable and there will be somewhat fewer of them. A dance hall, for example, will be added. The operation of the café and outdoor seating will continue. A building for the elementary art school will be added, which will move there from the castle. This will free up space in the castle interiors for a library.

The city has been preparing the project for several years. A referendum was also held due to the modernization of the cultural center. The opposition found the modernization expensive and did not want to spend over 200 million crowns. Therefore, they proposed a plebiscite. Two-thirds of those voting in 2016 supported the reconstruction in full.

The winning company took over the construction in the autumn of 2021. The cultural center will be completed during the summer holidays, and the city will open it at the beginning of September. "The construction company has a schedule and says it will hand over the building to us on time so that the elementary art school can move in and start teaching and that we can open the building for culture in September; I believe the contractor will meet the deadline," the mayor added.