Three interested parties for the villa Klára in Litomyšl offered between seven and eight million crowns

Litomyšl - Three interested parties in Villa Klára in Litomyšl, for which the city has no use and lacks funds for repairs, have offered similar prices between seven and eight million crowns for the property. The city leadership will continue negotiations with them, with important criteria being planned use, benefits for residents, and respect for the historical character of the area near the castle. Although the city actively promoted the sale of the villa, interested parties from Litomyšl and the surrounding area applied. The city hall had to disqualify two, as they did not meet the conditions. No one expressed interest in renting the building, said Mayor Daniel Brýdl (Generace 89) to reporters today.

"Klára is not that interesting within the Czech Republic, no one has offered any higher tens of millions of crowns for it, because all three interested parties estimate the repair investments to be up to a hundred million crowns. We have not found the necessary use for Klára, we believe that a private party can utilize it and, above all, repair it better and faster," stated Brýdl.

The company AGM Holding, in collaboration with the association Školamyšl, is interested in the villa. They submitted a project aimed at building a new center for education and social services in the villa. The building is expected to create facilities for a secondary school following the activities of the Primary School Školamyšl, a children's group, a cafe, and an educational center connected with a gallery and accommodation in the attic. The Kubík company plans to renovate the building into accommodation facilities and a rehabilitation center on the ground floor. The company Tramon has submitted a proposal to establish the Klára Medical Clinic. It would offer the public above-standard private advisory and rehabilitation medical care combined with accommodation options in the attic. The city council is expected to decide on the sale in the spring of next year.

The city wanted to sell Villa Klára last year as well, but none of the proposals from the two investors received support among the councilors. In the previous competition, the city set a uniform sale price of six million crowns, with the main criteria for selection being future use, benefits for residents, and respect for the historical character of the place.

Last year, local company Kubík, which mainly operates retail and wholesale food and textile businesses, expressed interest. They offered eleven million crowns for the property, and the company is located next to the villa in the so-called new brewery. They wanted to combine both sites and build an experiential conference hotel with a wellness center, a brewery, and partially spa operations and accommodation in the villa, along with a large underground parking lot. They also promised to create 78 jobs. A petition was created against the sale to the Kubík company. The authors of the Petition for the Preservation of the Genius Loci of the Castle Hill in Litomyšl view the company's plan as disproportionately ambitious and risky. They also object to its proximity to the Renaissance castle.

The other interested parties last year, the Kučera couple, wanted to transform the villa into a community center with a cafe and workshop for seniors. They also considered collaborating with the Faculty of Restoration at the University of Pardubice, which is based in the city and needs to accommodate foreign students, or possibly seeking further rental options. They intended to pay six million crowns for the building.

This time, the conditions of the competition are looser. The future user can modify the villa in accordance with the zoning plan and the connections to the surrounding structures of the castle with the brewery and monastery gardens, which form one urban and architectural whole. They cannot change the height of the building. The city emphasizes quality architecture and also requires the creation of adequate parking capacities. There is also the option that the interested party could rent the building.

Litomyšl acquired the building in 2020 for five million crowns from the Pardubice region. Until 2018, it housed a long-term care facility, but the property was in poor condition, and the regional government relocated the facility to the Litomyšl hospital complex.

The villa, built in 1895, is in the neo-Renaissance style, commissioned by brewer Karel Sedlák from Litomyšl. From 1929, it served as the Home of Saint Klára under the administration of the Order of Saint Charles Borromeo, which was gifted to them by Sedlák. Since 1949, it has been state-owned. The facility for the long-term sick has been there since 1974.