Demolition underway in Zlín city center for new high-rise development

Demolition has begun on a former bank building in the center of Zlín, clearing the way for a planned 16-story high-rise project known as Prospect. The development, led by Juraj Surovič, majority shareholder of the PSG construction group, will include offices, rental apartments, a hotel, and an observation terrace. The project’s estimated cost is just under one billion Czech korunas. Demolition is expected to be completed by mid-August, ahead of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín. Construction could begin early next year, Surovič told reporters today.

“We hope the project won’t be delayed in administrative processes,” Surovič said. “Design work is ongoing and should finish by the end of summer. In September, we plan to submit the project documentation to the authorities, aiming for a permit by year-end.” He noted that work is progressing on elements such as the building’s façade design.

The Prospect development will include the high-rise structure and a lower adjacent building housing an 80-room hotel. The project will feature 58 apartments, 3,700 square meters of office space, a restaurant, an underground garage with around 200 parking spaces, and a pedestrian zone. The planned high-rise will reach a height of 58 meters, making it the city’s second-tallest building after the Baťa skyscraper.

However, the proposed height has drawn criticism from the National Heritage Institute’s Kroměříž office. In April, conservationists expressed concerns that the building could disrupt Zlín’s urban panorama and impact views of the city’s heritage zone. The Zlín Department of Culture and Heritage Care will be responsible for reviewing and commenting on the project’s approval.

“We’ll try to convince the conservationists that height alone doesn’t determine whether a building dominates its surroundings,” Surovič said. He emphasized the building’s slender design and its integration into the urban environment. “We believe the project belongs in this location,” he added. The city architect’s office supports the proposal, and Zlín Mayor Jiří Korec (ANO) has also praised the project.

The former bank building, constructed in the 1990s, and its surrounding area are currently fenced off for demolition, which has closed sections of the sidewalk and nearby parking. The site sits between Práce Square and Gahura Avenue, close to landmarks such as the Great Cinema, Interhotel Zlín, the Zlín Department Store, and former Baťa dormitory buildings.

Demolition crews will avoid working on weekends and will take measures to reduce dust. The building has already been stripped of its façade and roof, and heavy equipment, including a 3.7-ton safe, has been removed.

“We aim to complete the building demolition in about a month, followed by two weeks of land leveling to leave the site clean,” said Michal Pohl, director of the PSG Construction plant in Otrokovice. The structural framework will be cut apart and removed in stages, with around 15 trucks operating daily over the next three weeks.

Source: CTK