Pardubice is considering the future of Masaryk Barracks, the analysis has been delayed

Pardubice - Work on the analysis of the use of the former Masaryk Barracks in Pardubice has been interrupted. The city commissioned its preparation several years ago, but external factors are delaying its completion. Hopefully, work on the document will resume by the end of the year, said Mayor Jan Nadrchal (ANO) to ČTK. The city has owned the site since 2014.

The city council interrupted work on the analysis because it decided to build a primary school in part of the ten-hectare site. The investment was prioritized, and demolition of the barracks buildings recently began. This was one of the moments when it was not possible to work on the analysis, the mayor stated. "It was supposed to be a document that would serve to announce a competition for a developer interested in the site. However, the situation changes over time and everything takes a long time. Then the school came along and demands from the city, so we are currently considering how to proceed with the area," said Nadrchal.

The city has an urban study for the barracks, which proposes to create a neighborhood with a predominance of family housing, complemented by services, shops, and public spaces. However, it requires a more detailed analysis of what the area will look like, what it will offer, or who will be the investor.

According to the mayor, the city can no longer expect to make significant profits from the sale of the land. "The original idea that we would gain a lot of money from it and that development would be completed within three years is probably unrealistic. If it is to be faster, it will mean less profit for the city. From my perspective, it is not about extracting something at all costs, but about creating affordable housing and reasonable development there," said the mayor.

The mayor would like to find a way to advance the analysis work by the end of the year so that it is completed as soon as possible. An architectural competition could follow it. "Based on it, someone would be sought who would want to participate in the project, or it could be like at Tesla on Kyjevská Street in the form of an investor competition, where developers present their own proposals," added the mayor.

The barracks site dates back to the 1920s and covers approximately ten hectares. In 2014, the city managed to acquire the barracks after years of negotiations. The Ministry of Defense retained some buildings that it wanted to sell for 40 million CZK. In 2016, the city purchased them for seven million CZK. The city owns almost the entire site, except for the lands on which a new labor office is to be built.