Jihlava will renovate the former lodge for children's stays, spending over 100 million CZK on it

Jihlava - Jihlava will start renovating the outdated camp base Hájenka Černé lesy near Brtnice next year into a center for informal education. It will mainly serve for children's stays in nature. However, the costs will exceed the city hall's expectations, which originally estimated 88 million crowns. The price that came out of the tender is 105 million crowns excluding value-added tax. The Jihlava city council made a decision on the funding this week, and the city council subsequently approved the selection of a contractor. This was stated by councilor David Beke (ODS) to reporters today.

The camp has been unusable for a long time due to its poor technical condition. The reconstruction will take two years. After that, the area with cabins will be operated year-round by the children's and youth house. The councilor expects that the center will be self-sustaining. "It anticipates very high occupancy throughout the year, from 15,000 to about 20,000 overnight stays," said Beke. In the summer months, up to 70 people could stay under one roof, and the same number could be accommodated in the cabins.

The Jihlava city council added 37 million crowns to the project. When all costs are added up, including supervision and interior furnishings, the amount for this project may approach 150 million crowns according to the councilor.

The former hunting lodge, according to previous information from the children's and youth house, probably dates back to the 19th century. The base now consists of four buildings. The design for the transformation of the area came from an architectural competition. It also addresses barrier-free connections between the old buildings using a large terrace. "Since everything is on a slope, that was one of the major challenges," said the councilor.

The appearance of the area is supposed to remain close to nature. During the reconstruction, a place for star observation and a natural biotope will be created, for example. There will also be a playground and a space for a fire pit. Details about the project are available on the city's website.

The contract for the renovation of the area was awarded to the Zelený company from Brtnice. The contract will be signed after the period for appeals has expired.