Prague to exchange land and real estate with the state for CZK 1.7 billion

Prague City Hall will exchange land and real estate worth about CZK 1.7 billion with the state. The city will get from the state in exchange for most of the Bulovka Hospital site, including the barracks in Karlín and a building in Hybernská Street. The contract with the state was approved yesterday by Prague councillors, councillor Adam Zábranský (Pirates) told journalists. It still needs to be discussed and approved by the city councillors. The difference in the value of the exchanged properties has been estimated at about CZK 10.6 million, which will be paid by the capital city so that each of the parties will invest CZK 1.7 billion in the exchange. In the case of the Karlin barracks, the city intends to use the newly acquired property partly to build housing and the land to build a kindergarten.

The exchange was negotiated by both sides for a long time, but the agreement was hampered by a dispute over the exchange of land in Bohdalec, which was eventually temporarily removed from the current list of properties and will continue to be negotiated.

"After several years of negotiations initiated in the last parliamentary term, the state will finally acquire real estate in the Bulovka area from Prague so that it can continue to develop the hospital. On the other hand, Prague should get the Karlín barracks, the Hybernská 2 house and many other properties from the state," Zábranský said.

Prague will get the barracks in Karlín from the state, which includes four plots of land and three buildings worth CZK 1.11 billion. The city plans to build apartments in the barracks, which are in poor condition. Zábranský recently told ČTK that given its size, the complex will have other functions, which are being discussed in the municipal coalition. The city will also acquire a building on Hybernská Street, where the neighbouring student campus, which was created about two years ago in a collaboration between Charles University and the city, will be expanded.

The city will also get two plots of land in the TJ Sokol Praha Královské Vinohrady complex, worth CZK 94.76 million. Prague will also acquire other land and buildings, for example in Střížkov, Prosek and Záběhlice, or at the Palmovka Primary School and the TJ ABC Braník. In the future, the city will, for example, consolidate some of the sites, which is the case of the land in Vysočany, and will also use them to expand the public green space in Braník or Záběhlice for the construction of a social facility and a kindergarten.

Initially, the capital wanted to acquire the land in Bohdalec, which the state representatives have so far refused to do and which has slowed down the negotiations on the exchange. The land has therefore been removed from the real estate package approved today. "However, we will continue to negotiate with the state to develop this area for the benefit of Prague residents and to build affordable housing there," Zábranský said.

According to the councillor, negotiations with the state are not over. The two sides will agree, for example, on the state acquiring the Faust House on Charles Square and the Prague firefighters' exit station from the city. "And in return we should get the Veleslavín castle," Zábranský said.

Source: CTK