Plzeň’s fourth district, Doubravka, will begin renovating an old school in March at a cost of CZK 150 million. It will move its office, which is in inadequate and cramped premises, to the 121-year-old building in Masarykova Street at the end of 2025. A competition among contractors managed to push down the project’s price by 32 million, Roman Zarzycký (ANO), the Mayor of Plzeň announced.
“The contractor has now been chosen. We will hand over the construction site in the first half of March,” said Tomáš Soukup (ANO), the Mayor of the district. The original budget was CZK 182 million, but the district wants to fit it into CZK 150 million. The city will pay the highest share, which has allocated 170 million in the budget. The district, which has been seeking its own premises for over 15 years, will contribute CZK 25 million to the redevelopment.
“The office is now housed in two buildings, one of which is the city’s, which will be put up for sale by public tender after the office is moved, while the district will save about CZK 1 million a year in rent for the other neighbouring building,” the Mayor said.
According to him, the city and the district will redevelop the entire space, including the area behind the building and all architectural elements. “The Pilsen organization Křížky a intruders, which takes care of monuments in the city, pointed out that there are relief objects there and we agreed with the mayor of the district that we would like to preserve them all and also revitalize a part of the opposite Habrmann Park,” Zarzycký said.
The dilapidated historic elementary school building from 1902, which Soukup said will be saved after many years, is one of the oldest in Doubravka. It will undergo a complete renovation and will be extended by an extension. The building has been vacant since 2017 and was still used by the conservatory between 2006 and 2013.
“The relocation of the office from the unsuitable building in Mohylova Street and from the rented premises is essential. Doubravka will get a representative multi-purpose hall for weddings and other social and cultural events on the third floor of the former school, as well as a new council working room. We will use the building completely,” said Mayor Soukup. The park behind the school will be used for weddings. The office will start operating there in January 2026.
The district collaborated with the Pilsen Faculty of Design and Art on the design of the overall renovation. According to Soukup, construction will begin with the demolition of the attached locker room building, which will be replaced by a modern addition with elevators and other facilities.
Doubravka, which this year marks the 100th anniversary of its annexation to Pilsen, will begin reconstruction of Masaryk Street from Rokycanská Avenue next year at a cost of about CZK 80 million, according to its mayor. A year later, the public transport turntable at the end of Masarykova Street should be rebuilt, supported by EU money. A park called Na Rybníčku will be built next to it.
Source: CTK
