University of Palacký is interested in Hanácké Barracks, the topic will be discussed by the senate

Olomouc - The state-owned Hanácké barracks in the center of Olomouc, whose dilapidated premises were auctioned at the beginning of September for 89.1 million crowns to the development company Redstone, is again of interest to Palacký University. The issue of possibly acquiring this property will be discussed next Wednesday at a special meeting of the university's academic senate. According to the auction conditions, the university can match the winning bid from Redstone and preferentially acquire the property with a total usable area of 23,490 square meters from the state. The ČTK today obtained this information from an invitation to the extraordinary meeting of the UP Academic Senate.

The university leadership has not yet commented on the agenda of the extraordinary meeting of the academic senate, the main point of which will be "the intention to express interest from UP in Olomouc in acquiring the auction item," According to ČTK information, senators received a structural-technical survey of the Hanácké barracks from 2023 or a description of its technical condition prepared this year before Wednesday's meeting. This document indicates that the reconstruction of the extensive building would cost nearly 1.896 billion crowns including VAT.

The Hanácké barracks were auctioned by the Redstone group on September 4 for 89.1 million crowns. The minimum purchase price in the ninth round of the auction was 89 million. Two interested parties registered for the auction, with one bid made. The Office for State Representation in Property Matters (ÚZSVM) then offered the city of Olomouc, the region, and Palacký University the opportunity to match the winning amount and thus acquire the barracks. If the local governments and the university do not act within 30 days from the delivery of the invitation, the ÚZSVM will conclude a contract with the winner of the electronic auction, namely the company Redstone, in which entrepreneur Richard Morávek has a stake.

The university, the city hall, and the county still have time to match Redstone's price offer. "Currently, the deadline for expressions of interest from the matchers, namely the Statutory City of Olomouc, the regional office in Olomouc, and Palacký University for the acquisition of the Hanácké barracks is running. This deadline will expire on Monday, October 14," said Tereza Frančová from the ÚZSVM press department to ČTK today.

Some time ago, the Olomouc region, together with the Olomouc city hall and Palacký University expressed interest in the Hanácké barracks. However, experts warned at that time about the poor technical condition of the extensive building and the high costs of its reconstruction. Therefore, at the beginning of this year, the regional council canceled its previous resolution that opened the way for the local government and the university to acquire the barracks free of charge. The regional office is currently not interested in the Hanácké barracks, said the governor Josef Suchánek (STAN) to ČTK today. The Olomouc city council did not discuss the Hanácké barracks in September, and this issue is not on the agenda of the city council next week either.

The Hanácké barracks were used by the army for 170 years and have been empty since 2013. The heritage-protected property was transferred to the ÚZSVM based on a government resolution in 2017 from the Ministry of Defense. In 2020, the government approved its sale. The building has office space of over 2,000 square meters.