Pardubice wants to move forward with the competition for the development of Masaryk Barracks

Pardubice's management wants to move forward with the preparation of an investor competition for the development of the former Masaryk Barracks this year. The city will keep only part of the area where it wants to build a new primary school, announced the mayor, Jan Nadrchal (ANO).

"It will work on a similar principle as in Tesla Kyjevská, the investor will be selected, only he will be obliged to prepare an architectural competition for the area in cooperation with the city," Nadrchal said.

The city plans to hold a seminar for councillors on the plan in March. There is a zoning study for the area, which will probably have to be redone. The barracks would be replaced by apartments and space for shops and services, and possibly a health centre or doctors' offices. The buildings will have to match the height of the surrounding buildings, and the proportions of built-up areas and green space are also determined.

The city has followed a similar procedure in the competition for the use of the former Tesla site in Kyjevská Street. The large brownfield site near the regional hospital was bought from the city by Linkcity in 2018 and gradually redeveloped into a shopping centre, apartments and a car park.

Part of the site will be occupied by an elementary school, and the city is preparing project documentation for it. Last year, councillors approved a CZK 1.5 million project to demolish the buildings and adjust the location of the current utilities. The new building is to stand at the former main entrance of the barracks, in front of which there is a city park. The T. G. Masaryk Primary School would serve 540 pupils. From 2020 onwards, a strong population will enter the schools. The fourth district, where the building is to be built, needs to increase capacity the most. The building would have a cafeteria and soup kitchen with a capacity of 615 meals, at least 18 tribal classrooms, vocational classrooms, a daycare, a library, language and IT classrooms, and additional space for music and art education. It will also have a gymnasium, a gymnastics hall, a multi-purpose outdoor sports field and facilities for staff and management. The cost of the building was previously estimated at around CZK 500 million excluding VAT.

Masaryk Barracks has been abandoned since 2011. Pardubice acquired the complex free of charge from the state in 2014. The complex with buildings covering an area of about ten hectares belonged to the city until 1 January 1950, then to the state. The latter retained the buildings it had built during its ownership.

Source: CTK
Photo: ods.cz