Turnov is looking for a new location for the library, considering two options

Turnov - Turnov is once again looking for a new location for the library. It is considering two options: renovating the former cinema in Trávnice or constructing a new building between the summer cinema and the house Na Sboře. Mayor Tomáš Hocke (Independent Block) stated this to reporters. The estimated investment will be between 45 to 50 million crowns, but it will not occur for several years.

The relocation of the library has been discussed for years in the fifteen-thousand-strong town, but previous proposals have always fallen flat. The current library space on Jeronýmova Street is insufficient in capacity, lacks better facilities and a communal hall, and the building is not accessible. Among the options currently being considered, the construction of a new building has a greater chance. The proposal to relocate to the dilapidated first-republic cinema does not have support among the council members. However, the mayor wishes to present this option to the city council once more. "I am still an advocate for relocating the library to that site. I see great potential in the historic building, which is centrally located and close to the central parking lot," he stated. Additionally, next to the former cinema is a city theater.

According to him, transforming it into a library would also resolve the problems associated with this unused building. "We have received dozens of complaints about it," he said. Staying in the sprawling building disrupted by birch trees growing inside the structure is dangerous, as the treetops are already above the roof. Until the city ensured side and rear entrances, the building was popular for taking selfies. "People visited in crowds; at times, there were even 20 to 30 children at once," said city hall spokeswoman Anna Šupíková. The house is also sought after by homeless people.

However, the former cinema no longer belongs to Turnov; it was sold in 2001 to former council member Vítězslav Sekanina. According to the city chronicle, the city hall unsuccessfully tried to sell the property for several years at that time, and Sekanina wanted to convert it into a shopping center with small shops and a café. However, this did not succeed, and inside there was only a Vietnamese market. Sekanina has now offered the property back to the city for 6.5 million crowns, the same price he paid for it back then.

According to the mayor, however, the council considers the price to be high and is negotiating with Sekanina for a reduction. The mayor does not consider the additional problem of the building being located in a passive flood zone to be insurmountable. Hocke also plans to have a more detailed calculation made of how much the renovation of the building and the construction of a new building would cost. According to preliminary estimates, the prices would not differ much. This is also why the councilors seem to prefer building a new structure tailored to the needs of the library. "I would like us to make progress by the end of the electoral term (autumn 2018) towards a decision on whether to commission an architectural study for the renovation of the old building in Trávnice or the construction of a new one," added Hocke.