The developer YIT does not like the procedure of Prague 5, which has filed an administrative lawsuit against the amended zoning decision for the construction of the last stage of the company’s housing project in Košíře. According to the company, the municipal district was informed in advance about the intention to build more apartment buildings, but it filed the lawsuit anyway and is demanding further concessions, said Marcela Kukaňová, a media representative of YIT. According to an earlier statement by Prague 5 councillor Radek Janoušek (Praha 5 Sobě), Prague 5 is demanding that the company build the gym and transfer it to the town hall, after which it is willing to withdraw the lawsuit.
YIT has already built apartment buildings on the former industrial site in Naskova Street in the past and now wants to continue with the final stage. The original planning decision envisaged that some of the buildings would retain space for shops and other amenities, but the investor has modified its plans. This was resisted by the town hall, first by appeal and then by legal action.
In mid-May, the developer presented modifications to the project to the city district’s land development committee, which consisted of building additional public amenity space above the planned supermarket, as requested by the city council. However, the committee raised another demand for a gymnasium. This has already been rejected by the company, according to its statement. It is illogical, it says, because the town hall has long had planning permission to build a gym at the primary school in nearby Benisek Street.
According to YIT Stavo CEO Marek Lokaj, the developer has been negotiating constructively with the town hall all along and he regrets the action of the current Prague 5 management. In his opinion, the municipal district is also delaying the construction of its own neighbouring kindergarten, which depends on the planned project due to its connection to the utilities being built by the company, and the municipal district has concluded a cooperation agreement with the company in this regard.
“In view of the filing of a lawsuit by the Prague 5 municipality, we are forced to consider withdrawing from the cooperation agreement due to breach of contractual provisions. In spite of all these obstacles on the part of the town hall, we are still willing to engage in constructive negotiations and discussions about the construction, and we want to reach acceptable solutions that will benefit the local residents,” said the director.
Source: YIT and CTK
