The construction of the Aupark center in Brno is blocked by the neighboring Vaňkovka Gallery

Brno - The Brno City Council has suspended the appeal proceedings regarding the zoning decision for the construction of the Aupark shopping center in Brno until at least February. This request came from the investor. The company operating the nearby shopping center Galerie Vaňkovka has appealed against this resolution to the regional authority, said council spokesman Pavel Žára today.
    Aupark, which is set to be built on a parking lot near the Zvonařka bus station, received its zoning decision more than a year and a half ago, but it is still not final. The operator of Vaňkovka is trying to prevent the construction through official procedures.
    "We have forwarded the case materials from our urban planning department to the South Moravian regional office," said Žára. The appeal proceedings further delay the date of the definitive start of construction or the conclusion of efforts regarding it. The investor has had this plan for seven years. Meanwhile, civil associations have opposed the construction, and the Brno City Council has submitted various comments; the project has generated significant controversy.
    The building is to be located in a floodplain area. The Brno Department of Forestry and Water Management had previously issued a positive opinion, but this was annulled twice by the regional authority after the operator of Vaňkovka appealed. The regional authority confirmed its decision, although its opinion was first annulled by the Ministry of the Environment following an appeal from Aupark. "The ministry is now reviewing the regional authority's decision for the second time," said Žára. The operator of Vaňkovka has also appealed against Aupark's second appeal, as no further appeal was possible against the repeated decision of the region.
    Aupark would become significant competition for Vaňkovka, which its director Martin Kondrát has acknowledged in the past. It is expected to offer 31,000 m² of rental space and include around 170 stores.
    Aupark is intended to be part of the southern development area, so the city wants to organize a round table with landowners. "So that we know what plans they have and what the city can expect in case of both postponed and non-postponed railway station," said Deputy Mayor Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno) earlier to ČTK.
    The Aupark project has also been marked by the case of architects Jaroslav Dokoupil and Radoslav Kobza. They received a fine of 50,000 crowns from the Czech Chamber of Architects and a three-year ban on applying for public contracts because they designed Aupark and then created a study for the city assessing the impact of the construction on the surroundings. According to the chamber, there was a clear conflict of interest.