The town hall wants to sell the unused extension of the Hotel Praha in the center of Nový Jičín

Nový Jičín - The town hall wants to sell the unused extension of Hotel Praha in the center of Nový Jičín. Therefore, the building from the 1970s will need to be separated from the historical hotel, and the regulatory plan of the city's heritage reservation also needs to be changed. The city councilors of Nový Jičín are expected to decide in June on announcing a tender for the sale of the extension of Hotel Praha. This was communicated to ČTK by the town hall spokesperson Marie Machková.

Deputy Mayor Václav Dobrozemský (ODS) stated that the city has been working on the preparation for the sale of the extension of Hotel Praha for almost a year. Councilors approved the preparation for the change of the regulatory plan of the city's heritage reservation last year.

"Currently, the extension is classified as a multifunctional cultural center. We want to expand this category with additional usage options for the building, so that future investors have greater opportunities to implement their plans. The new version of the regulatory plan, which will allow the building to be used for housing, services, and civic amenities, should be approved in the first half of this year," said Dobrozemský.

According to him, the town hall is currently preparing its own conditions for the sale in the tender. It is also taking steps to separate the extension from the art nouveau hotel. "The decision of the building authority on the separation of the buildings will serve for their independent registration in the land register. This step will allow the property to be offered to interested buyers," said Machková.

The complex of buildings now known as Hotel Praha was built at the end of the 19th century in the art nouveau style and is a cultural monument. The town acquired it in 2013 and gradually renovated it. Previously, it served as a regional facility, and after the hotel school ceased to use it, it was closed.

The hotel extension was created in the 1970s. Nový Jičín embarked on its reconstruction in 2018, intending to transform the extension into a cultural center. The work was divided into three phases, but only the first phase, which began in 2018 and cost 21.75 million crowns, was carried out. Subsequently, the new leadership of the town hall decided to review the entire investment.

"This building is unusable for us. The working group that reviewed the project for the reconstruction of the building into a cultural center issued a recommendation in 2022 not to continue with the plan," said Mayor Stanislav Kopecký (ANO).

According to him, a structural technical survey revealed serious deficiencies in the load-bearing structure of the building. "Inside the future main hall, there are load-bearing concrete columns that would disrupt the visual contact with the stage. Another negative aspect is the insufficient capacity of the facility, as only 271 people were permitted from a fire safety perspective," said the mayor.

The city plans to build the cultural center from the Nové Slunce restaurant, which it purchased from a private owner for 28 million crowns. A study of the investment plan is currently being prepared.