Uherské Hradiště will purchase the building from Komerční banka for officials

Uherské Hradiště - The town hall in Uherské Hradiště will buy a building in Svatováclavská Street for 35 million crowns, which until recently housed a branch of Komerční banka. This was decided today by the city council, with 21 of the 22 present councilors voting in favor. The town hall would like to relocate employees from several city office locations into the building. The city plans to purchase the house by the end of March, along with related land.

According to Mayor Stanislav Blaha (ODS), the officials from the departments of transport and administrative agendas, IT department, and internal audit unit should move into the building within three years from the buildings on Revoluční, Protzkarova, and Hradební streets. "Our primary intention is to use it (the building formerly used by the bank) for office needs. To concentrate all the agendas that people need to handle various documents, whether they are driver's licenses, vehicle registrations, and subsequently travel documents, passports, identity cards, and registry office matters. At the same time, we will achieve an interesting line of three city office buildings, where people will basically have the entire city office very close to them," Blaha told reporters today.

Komerční banka moved out of the building last year and it is now empty. This year, the town hall wants to have a study conducted to determine the detailed technical condition of the building and a proposal for its use. By 2021, the city wants to have project documentation, and for 2022, it plans construction modifications estimated at nearly 20.7 million crowns. For 2023, the city anticipates furnishing the building with internal equipment costing about three million and relocating its officials, after which it will likely sell the building on Revoluční, expecting a return of at least 22 million. "A more precise calculation of costs awaits us in the following weeks," Blaha stated.

The purchase was criticized by opposition councilor Ivan Karpeles (ČSSD). "It is a building that should be preserved for the public; however, the price the city will pay seems high to me," Karpeles said.

The former bank premises have 21 parking spaces, including garage spaces. "The parking capacity on the premises can be increased by at least 12 parking spaces through suitable modifications. Therefore, it will be possible to address parking for the office's service vehicles outside of publicly accessible roads, freeing up part of the parking lot on Komenského Square for public parking," stated the spokesperson for the Uherské Hradiště town hall, Jan Pášma.

The construction of the standalone three-winged two-story building designed by František Šnajdr began in 1926. It was completed three years later, and the monumental entrance was decorated by sculptor Jaroslav Horejc. Until 1949, this location housed a branch of the National Bank, and between 1950 and 1992, it was a branch of the State Bank. The building is a cultural monument and is part of the protected zone of the city monument reserve.