Brno Regional Authority to revoke permit for apartment building on former villa site
The Regional Building Authority in Brno has decided to revoke the construction permit for a six-story residential building planned on the site of a demolished neo-Renaissance villa on Hlinky Street. The permit, issued provisionally by Brno City Hall in January, faced objections from local residents and the Brno-střed district council, who appealed the decision.
According to regional administration spokesperson Alena Knotková, the case revealed procedural shortcomings. Although the Ministry of Culture had already halted proceedings to designate the villa as a cultural monument after its demolition, the site lies within Brno’s heritage zone. Any new construction there requires a written opinion from the National Heritage Institute and a binding statement from the city’s heritage department—neither of which were included in the initial approval. “The proposal must therefore undergo a more thorough review,” Knotková explained.
The villa, demolished in spring 2022 by its private owner, had drawn widespread criticism from experts and the public. Ombudsman Stanislav Křeček also addressed the case, noting that authorities failed to coordinate effectively to prevent the loss of the building. By the time the Ministry of Culture considered protecting the villa, significant architectural features such as stucco, the roof, and a historic veranda had already been removed.
Developer Horizon Consulting II. had proposed a 28-meter-high building with three underground levels, six above-ground floors, 15 apartments, 11 studios, three commercial units, and 34 parking spaces. The Brno-střed district mayor, Vojtěch Mencl (ODS), had opposed the plan, arguing it exceeded the scale permitted for the area. Following the regional office’s decision, he welcomed the outcome: “The proposal will now have to be adjusted to comply with the new zoning plan and Brno’s building regulations.” The current plan sets the maximum height for buildings in the area at 16 meters.
Source: CTK
