From the ruins of the former nursery in Teplice, the Salesians are building a community center

Teplice - The ruins of the former nursery in the Teplice neighborhood of Trnovany will become a community center. A building that has been empty for a quarter of a century, along with a large garden, will be transformed. Facilities will be created for children, youth, and families, tutoring, clubs, and social assistance. The project named Živý dům (Living House) took third place in the competition Máme vybráno. Work will begin in the spring. This was stated to ČTK by the manager of the Salesian Center, Štěpán Trochta, Pavlína Mašková.

The huge villa with a garden in the midst of residential construction served as a nursery and later as a home for children up to three years old. It then remained abandoned, fell into disrepair, and became cluttered with garbage. In 2019, the Salesians purchased the building. "We have been operating in rented spaces in Teplice. Two years ago, we were evicted, and we had to urgently find new places. That’s when the opportunity to purchase this building arose,” Mašková said.

The house cost nine million koruna, and the renovation is estimated at several tens of millions. "We already have a substantial part, but we are short about twenty million koruna. We are looking for support everywhere possible. For example, people can participate in the competition 'Draw Your Angel'. The proceeds from the sale of the artworks that we receive will be designated specifically for building the multifunctional center," Mašková stated. The main investor is the Salesian Province.

The Living House will serve as a base for a center for children and youth, a low-threshold club, a social activation service for families, and the Salesian community from Zámecké náměstí will also relocate here. "There is plenty of space here, three floors and countless rooms and nooks,” Mašková noted. In the future, the garden will also be available for public use, and a playground is planned. "We were supposed to start renovations this fall, but everything was changed by the COVID period. We are optimistic and believe that we will kick things off in the spring and finish by 2024,” the manager stated, who is already trying to attract locals to the house on Hlávková Street. Several guided tours with an architect and a Halloween event for children have taken place in the building. The Bethlehem light will be handed over here on Christmas Eve. "We want to bring people here to see what will happen, to get used to coming here,” Mašková said.

The COVID period has impacted almost all of the activities of the Salesians, who have been in Teplice for 30 years. The leisure center was closed, but staff provided computers and internet connections for distance learning, online consultations, and parish workers became volunteers in hospitals and at hygiene stations, helping seniors who were afraid to go out. The Salesian Center of Štěpán Trochta still has plenty of work. "Since September, there has been a significant increase in the number of children who need tutoring. We are helping with resolution of debts, housing problems, and similar issues,” Mašková pointed out.

She looks forward to the new spaces in the former nursery. "For now, it is a huge beautiful ruin that is already cleared out and ready for renovation," said the manager.