In Olomouc, preparations are underway for the construction of another tall building

Olomouc - In Olomouc, preparations are underway for the construction of another high-rise building, which, thanks to its 75 meters, is expected to share the position of the second tallest building in the city alongside the town hall. The new high-rise landmark of Olomouc is intended for residential purposes upon completion and is part of the Šantovka urban district project, developed by SMC Development on the site of the former Milo factory. The civic association Za krásnou Olomouc opposes the construction of another high-rise building near the historic city center.
    Luděk Schmidt from SMC Development told journalists today that the construction of the new 22-story high-rise building is estimated to cost around 400 million crowns. The building is set to offer approximately 80 apartments. "The project is already prepared for zoning proceedings," added Pavel Vrba from Alfaprojekt.
    According to Schmidt, the new high-rise building will not overshadow the historic center of Olomouc due to its suitable spatial orientation, where it is planned to rise. SMC Development plans to present the project to the public at two exhibitions and intends to request the initiation of the zoning proceedings. "I believe that there will be as few opponents as possible and that the approach from heritage conservationists and authorities will be at least positively neutral. I hope we can convince them with our arguments," said Schmidt.
    There are two new high-rise buildings in Olomouc. The Regional Center of Olomouc stands at 71 meters tall, and the building of the Moravian University is 74 meters. The new zoning plan, which should come into effect next year, does not count on the construction of further high-rise buildings in the protective zone of the municipal heritage reserve.
    According to Schmidt, SMC Development does not intend to wait for the new zoning plan to be approved. "The new zoning plan is not yet complete, and we may end up waiting a decade because of it," Schmidt believes. If SMC Development obtains permission based on the current zoning plan, it will be able to start construction even after the new version of this document, which determines the development parameters of the city, comes into effect.
    Olomouc's mayor Martin Novotný (ODS) told ČTK today that the town hall will begin addressing the project for the new high-rise building at the beginning of next year, when the city council is expected to provide its opinion. "However, I welcome that the investor started by presenting the project to the public first," Novotný stated. According to the mayor, the new zoning plan is likely to come into effect only at the beginning of 2014 due to necessary procedures.
    According to Alexander Jeništa from the civic association Za krásnou Olomouc, SMC Development should respect the opinion of the Ministry of Culture, which expressed opposition to the construction of further high-rise buildings in the protective zone of the municipal heritage reserve during the preparation of the new zoning plan for Olomouc. "To want to push this (high-rise building project) quickly through the old zoning plan is what I consider typical Czech cunning, which would be extremely immoral and in poor taste," Jeništa told ČTK today. A petition against further high-rise buildings was signed by about a thousand residents of Olomouc at the beginning of the year.
    If SMC Development obtains all necessary permits, it plans to start construction of the high-rise building in 2014. Schmidt estimated today that the construction could take 16 to 18 months. He did not want to speculate on the price of the apartments yet. "I believe that due to the exclusivity of the architecture and materials used, we will have enough clients. Some have already been reaching out," Schmidt believes.
    The construction of the Šantovka urban district, which is being built on an area of 11 hectares, is expected to cost around ten billion crowns. It will include a residential neighborhood, a shopping center, and an office complex. Architects from the London studio Benoy are involved in the project.

Order	Location	Name	Height in meters
1.	Wenceslas Square	St. Wenceslas Cathedral (main tower)	100.65
2.	Upper Square	Town Hall Tower	75
3.	Envelopa	Moravian University Building	74
4.	Klášterní Hradisko	Klášterní Hradisko	72
5.	Main Train Station	Regional Centre Building 2	71
6.	Wenceslas Square	St. Wenceslas Cathedral (front towers)	68
7.	Hejčín	St. Cyril and Methodius Church	65
8.	Svobody Street	Red Church	55
9.	8th of May	St. Moritz Church	46

Source: Wikipedia