<p>The study will verify the construction of an underground parking garage at the Great Square.</p>

Hradec Králové - A study will examine the possibility of building an underground parking garage beneath the Great Square in the center of Hradec Králové. The creation of the document was approved by the city council. Representatives of the city hall told reporters today. The square serves as a parking lot, and the city leadership would like to change that. The goal is to restore the square's function as a natural social center. A geological survey was already conducted there in the summer.

"The effort is to unblock the intention to reconstruct the Great Square, but the zoning decision is still pending in Hořice," said Deputy Mayor Jiří Bláha (ODS).

The overall renovation of the square, estimated to cost a quarter of a billion crowns, has been planned by the city hall since 2007. However, construction has not yet started due to objections from some residents who are mainly concerned about the proposed reduction of parking spaces in the square. Since August 2016, the construction office in Hořice has been dealing with the construction permit for the reconstruction, as the zoning proceedings were transferred there due to suspicions of bias in the city leadership and the Hradec office.

According to Bláha, it is unlikely that the reconstruction of the square will begin in this electoral term. "It can be expected that regardless of how the construction office in Hořice decides, it will be challenged in court. This means that the stalemate situation at the Great Square will persist thereafter. Our effort is to unblock the situation," Bláha told reporters.

The study is expected to cost the city nearly a million crowns. "It is necessary to reach a consensus between a sufficient number of spaces that would meet both the visitor traffic of the city center and the needs of the residents. We want to verify the possible construction of an underground parking garage under the Great Square with an entrance from Komenského Street. The relevance of the project will only be determined by the study," said Bláha.

The study should also address engineering networks and propose dividing the possible reconstruction into phases. The city will also discuss the project with heritage conservators. "We are still in a state of considerations and possible solutions. We need to find out what would suit people best and be the best possible solution," Bláha stated.

A proposal for a solution for the square from ARN studio architect Jiří Krejčík is still in play. According to this proposal, the square would be divided into a lively part with parking, arcades, and restaurants, and a quieter relaxation part dominated by church buildings on the southern side.

For most political entities, this is a traditional pre-election topic in Hradec, and it was no different last year before the municipal elections. The previous city administration had provisional repairs made to the destroyed sidewalks and crumbling surfaces of the parking lot on the historic Great Square, costing about 3.5 million crowns before the elections.