The leadership of Prague approved the agreement for the terrace at Budějovická

Prague - Prague will conclude a property agreement with the owners regarding the terrace above the Budějovická metro station, which will allow for its reconstruction. It should start this year. The wording of the agreement was approved today by the councilors. The city will sign the agreement with the Prague Public Transport Company (DPP), the DBK shopping center, Česká spořitelna, and other owners. The terrace was temporarily closed last January due to a state of emergency, and the previous city administration originally wanted to demolish it.

"In order for something to happen there, a property settlement is necessary," stated Prague councilor for property Jan Chabr (TOP 09). He added that the signing of the document should put an end to disputes among all the owners. "We have a commitment to submit an application for a building permit so that repairs can at least begin in parts this year and be fully completed next year," he added.

The basis of the agreement is the consent of all parties that the terrace belongs to the capital city and that this fact will not be challenged in court by anyone. The wording also guarantees free public access to the entire terrace and joint decision-making by all owners regarding excessive commercial activity in the area. The city had previously signed a memorandum with Česká spořitelna and DBK, and this agreement represents another step that is now legally binding.

The terrace was built in 1977 and has never been repaired or maintained. There are issues such as water leaking into the structure. The state of emergency has been known since 2010. Moreover, legally, no one owned the structure. It wasn't until 2013 that officials from the Prague 4 city hall decided it belonged to the capital city. In recent years, several projects for the repair of the terrace have been developed, but none have been carried out.

The passage at the southern exit from the metro was closed by Prague on January 22 last year. Three days earlier, the metro exit had been closed. The municipality subsequently proposed to demolish the terrace. However, after nearly ten months, the terrace was ultimately supported by braces, which are still at the exit from the metro, and the southern exit from the metro was reopened. DBK has been opposed to the closure of the passage from the start. The city had unsuccessfully negotiated with them about the possible sale of the terrace to the shopping center. The Prague 4 city hall also opposed the closure at that time.