The leadership of Prague is waiting for the assessment of the price of Jindřišská Tower, then it will decide

Prague - The new leadership of Prague is awaiting an expert appraisal of the price of the Jindřišská Tower, based on which they will decide whether to continue bidding for its purchase. Adam Zábranský (Pirates), the city councilor for property, said this to ČTK. According to him, the preparation of the appraisal is the responsibility of the city company Trade Centre Prague (TCP) and it should be completed within a few weeks. The monument is being sold by the Archdiocese of Prague, and according to its general vicar Jan Balík, there were about 30 interested parties for the buyout, and so far five have submitted offers.

"We started negotiations with five interested parties and now we are giving the city hall a chance, where the processes are longer," Balík told ČTK today.

The previous city leadership expressed interest in purchasing the tourist-attractive tower, but according to Zábranský, the price will be crucial. Originally, the archdiocese wanted 75 million crowns for the property; however, Balík reported to ČTK in January that the number of offers had raised the price to over 100 million crowns.

The laws governing local authorities allow them to purchase significantly above the estimated price only in very well-justified cases. Therefore, according to Zábranský, the expert estimate will be crucial for the further proceedings of the city hall. "If the expectations are diametrically different, then that deal will probably not happen," he said.

Balík previously stated that given the number of interested parties, the sales process will likely be multi-stage. The current tenant of the tower, the company Jindřišská věž, which has a fixed-term contract until the end of 2044, should also participate in the narrower round. Additionally, the monument, according to the archdiocese, requires an investment of about 20 to 30 million crowns for repairs. The sale is part of a new economic setting, by which the church is trying to prepare for the time when it will stop receiving money from the state for its activities from 2030.

Jindřišská Tower is a 15th-century structure that stands nearly 66 meters tall. On its ten floors, there is now a souvenir shop, a whisky café, and a gallery. The tower is also used for cultural programs. Part of the restaurant on the seventh and eighth floors houses the Maria bell from 1518, and on the top floor, there is an observation deck overlooking the Prague skyline.