The representatives of Krnov allocated 37 million CZK for the purchase of the Prior building

Krnov - The Krnov councilors have taken another step towards the purchase of the former Prior department store building in the city center. On Wednesday evening, at their meeting, they approved a budget adjustment. In it, they allocated 37 million crowns specifically for the purchase of the deteriorating property. This was stated by the city's spokesperson, Dita Círová. Krnov currently owns only one-fourth of the building. The remaining part still belongs to the company Prior, department stores.

"The councilors have not yet decided on the actual purchase. They only approved the budget adjustment, which now allocates 37 million crowns for the purchase of the property," said the spokesperson. She added that negotiations between city representatives and representatives of the company Prior, department stores will follow. They should discuss the shape of the purchase agreement. "The councilors could vote on the actual purchase of the property in June," Círová stated.

In the former Prior building, additional apartments or a library could be created. This stems from a study that the city commissioned from the Ostrava branch of the British architectural office RMJM. The city hall already owns, for example, 70 apartments in the building. Therefore, the councilors are considering purchasing the remaining share.

One of the largest buildings in the city center, which currently consists of retail space, apartments, and technical facilities with storage and office spaces, architects have proposed to divide through partial demolition by creating a pedestrian passage into two smaller units. According to the proposal, part of the building should transform into a four-story building with a library, a meeting hall for city needs, cafés, apartments, and technical facilities. The second unit would then consist of a single-story commercial section, which connects to existing buildings with city apartments.

The building from 1983 will require extensive investments, according to city officials. The property is very outdated and should not remain in its current state. The city has long lacked a hall for council meetings, which would be in better walking distance for locals than the fire station in Kostelec. A municipal police station could also be located here.

The Prior building with residential units was constructed between 1980 and 1983 based on the winning design from an architectural competition to address the center of Krnov, which took place in 1967. It spans an area of 5,532 square meters and consists of a courtyard and a building that includes both commercial and residential sections.