In Kopřivnice, the construction of a new Tatra technical museum begins

Kopřivnice - The hall of the former foundry in Kopřivnice in the Nový Jičín region will be transformed into a new technical museum of Tatra cars after reconstruction. The construction company took over the construction site today, and the museum is expected to open to visitors in less than two years. Miroslava Chlebounová from the regional office informed journalists about this.

The plot with the hall of the former foundry was donated by the joint-stock company Tatra Trucks. The building now needs to be adapted. The city of Kopřivnice will build a parking lot, access roads, and green areas around the museum building. The new Tatra car museum will be a branch of the Nový Jičín Museum, which is a contribution organization of the region.

"The exhibition of the new museum will also include close cooperation and coordination with the existing Technical Museum of Tatra. A permanent exhibition of the legendary motor train Slovenské strely will also be built in front of the new museum, the overall renovation of which is being ensured by the Tatra car manufacturer in parallel with the construction of the museum," said Chlebounová.

She reminded that the car manufacturer will provide a collection of unique vehicles for the museum's new exhibitions, for which there have previously been no exhibition spaces. The design of the new exhibition, which will focus primarily on Tatra trucks, is currently being finalized.

The region selected the contractor for the reconstruction only on the second attempt. The first tender had to be canceled because the offers from companies were higher than the amount the region could pay with the help of European funds.

"In the second round, we managed to negotiate the removal of the financial cap of 124 million crowns, which was a condition for the approval of the European grant. Therefore, the project costs can now reach a maximum of 172 million crowns, including exhibition costs, of which nearly 111 million will come from European money. The rest will be paid by the region from its budget," said Deputy Governor Jaroslav Kania (ANO). The construction should be completed in the autumn of next year, and the museum will open to visitors from the 2021 season.