The Ministry of the Interior is preparing a reconstruction of buildings in Letná

Prague - The Ministry of the Interior is preparing to reconstruct the area in Letná, Prague. It will last until 2024 and is estimated to cost 936 million korunas, according to documents available to ČTK. The plan must be approved by the government. Officials from the Ministry of the Interior are currently based in several locations.

The proposed reconstruction is to take place in two phases. In the first phase, the old building constructed between 1935 and 1939 is to be refurbished, while in the second phase, a new building built in 1979 will be addressed. The proposal by the ministry was prompted, among other things, by the fact that from 2020, administrative capacities in the area will be significantly freed up. Last year, the ministry decided to relocate the central office of the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy, which is currently located in the older of the buildings.

"The reason for the decision was that the unit is located in the Letná area under absolutely inadequate working conditions (...) and also due to the necessity of its personnel increase because of the need to address migration issues and especially to strengthen the labor market of the Czech Republic through foreign employees," the document states.

The ministry considered two other alternatives besides the proposed variant, but they were more financially and time-consuming. In the first alternative, it contemplated maintaining the current operations without major investments, only with necessary repairs. However, in addition to a poorer work environment, this option would also lead to higher costs.

The second alternative involved maintaining operations and starting preparations for the construction of a new ministry building in Veleslavín. However, this was the most financially demanding option, and the ministry would also lose the investments already made. Moreover, according to the document, the area in Veleslavín could not replace all current ministry properties.

According to the most suitable proposal, the ministry intends to keep the Letná area as its main headquarters. The plan includes eliminating as many commercial leases as possible. The ministry also aims to retain the property in Olšanská, where critical infrastructure technological elements are operated.

The solution proposed by the ministry, according to the document, is not in conflict with the government’s plan to build an administrative complex in Letňany. The capacities of the Ministry of the Interior are not considered in it - due to specific security parameter requirements.