In the O2 Arena in Prague 9, a new district with 3,500 apartments is set to be created

Prague – A new district should be established in place of the unused production halls near the O2 Arena in Prague 9. Its core should be Emil Kolben Square, where residential buildings, schools, and a technical center should be created. Prague 9 wants to buy land from Howden ČKD Compressors and be involved in the development of the new district. This was stated today by the mayor of the ninth district, Tomáš Portlík, to reporters.

The planned future appearance of the urban district near the O2 Arena is proposed by an urban study prepared by architect Jiří Řezák from the Qarta architecture studio. In the approximately ten-hectare area defined by Českomoravská, Freyova, Ocelářská, and Lisabonská streets, around 3,500 apartments, a new primary and kindergarten, and an educational technical center are expected to be constructed.

In the new center of Vysočany, the city hall would like to build on the legacy of industrialist Emil Kolben and the technical tradition of Vysočany. According to Portlík, an educational center focused on popularizing science and modern technology could be established in the new district. "We would like to bring the industrial past of Prague 9 into the present and build on it with a center that would attract young people and children to modern technologies such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, 3D printing, and others," the mayor stated. Prague 9 has also prepared a survey asking the residents of Vysočany what type of civic amenities they feel is most lacking in the area and what could be included in the planned Emil Kolben Square.

The new square should connect to the space near the O2 Arena. According to the designers, its construction should create a meeting place for the residents of Vysočany, which is currently lacking in the originally industrial district. It should be a dominant feature of the new neighborhood with residential and administrative buildings. These are already under construction near the O2 Arena. For example, Syner is currently building a ten-story building, which will house offices, on a former parking lot next to the Backstage hotel.

The brownfields are currently owned by six companies and several private individuals. Prague 9 would like to purchase approximately three hectares of land from Howden ČKD Compressors. The city hall intends to negotiate with the owners of the surrounding lands to ensure that future use of these areas follows the prepared urban study. This study is to become the basis for changing the zoning plan, which will allow for the redevelopment of the area with unused old factory buildings. According to its mayor, Prague 9 thus wants to be the one to have a decisive voice in the transformation of the territory and will directly manage the development of the area.

Prague 9, which has about 58,050 residents, consists of the cadastral area of Prosek and parts of the cadastral areas of Vysočany, Hrdlořezy, Střížkov, Hloubětín, Libeň, and Malešice.