In Opava, the demolition of the decaying Slezanka has begun today

Opava - Heavy machinery today began demolishing the dilapidated Slezanka shopping center in the center of Opava. Hydraulic shears are gradually cutting through the concrete skeleton, while trucks are taking the debris to the landfill. Martin Kůs from the press department of the Opava city hall said that to ČTK today.

"Today it became evident that the building is very poorly constructed. Mainly the concrete is of low quality. It crumbles easily. According to the site manager, the demolition did not arrive at five minutes to twelve, but at five seconds to twelve. There was a risk of spontaneous collapse in the future," he stated.

Heavy machinery started the demolition this morning; by afternoon, according to Kůs, approximately one-tenth of the building designated for demolition had been taken down. "The actual demolition will still take several weeks. The company has a total of 80 days to carry out the work. This also includes site preparation, planning for archaeological research, and securing the site,” he said.

The first phase of the demolition will focus on the above-ground parts of the building from the passage near the co-cathedral to the current entrance of the building. Opava owns the properties slated for removal; a court dispute is currently ongoing regarding the section to the left of the passage on Horní náměstí by the Tempa building.

The panel building was constructed on the site of former beer houses from the 17th century. The block, which has a housing estate appearance, connects to the historic development of the center and neighbors a Gothic cathedral. The building has long been a problem for the city hall. The city purchased the majority stake in 2008 for 270 million crowns. Since then, possible uses for the building have been discussed. In 2021, the city council approved the demolition of the acquired section.

Following the removal of the above-ground parts of the building, an archaeological survey will take place in the immediate vicinity of Slezanka, which is to be replaced by a multifunctional cultural hall with a capacity of approximately 800 to 1,000 people intended for balls, dances, concerts, conferences, and other social events. A representative space of this type has long been lacking in the city center. The project also includes an underground parking facility with a capacity of approximately 250 spaces. A hotel and residential buildings could also be built on the site. Aside from the hall and underground parking, the buildings are to be constructed by private investors.