Turnov has extended the deadline for submitting bids for the 100-million-dollar library construction by another month. It will expire on January 17. The town has also raised the maximum allowable price to CZK 114 million excluding tax, according to data in the public procurement bulletin.
This is the fifth time the deadline has been extended. The city hall had originally expected that bids could be submitted until 11 October and that the price, excluding tax, would not exceed CZK 110 million. However, the repeated extension of the deadline required 14 changes or clarifications to the tender documents. The last change concerned adjustments to the itemised budget, which required an increase in the maximum allowable price.
For the Turnov City Hall, the construction of the library in Skalova Street is the most expensive construction since the construction of the Maškova zahrada recreational area. The construction of the sports ground with an outdoor swimming pool and an ice rink costing approximately CZK 180 million was completed seven years ago. According to Turnov’s original plans, construction of the library was supposed to start this autumn, but the new deadline for handing over the site is March next year. The selected company will have 600 days to build the library, so it should be completed by the end of October 2025.
The new library will be a few hundred metres closer to the city centre than the current one. Its relocation from Jeronýmova Street has been discussed in Turnov for years. The current premises are not sufficient for the needs of one of the oldest libraries in the country – the sanitary and visitor facilities are inadequate, there is no social hall and the building is not wheelchair accessible. Turnov received a European subsidy of approximately CZK 68 million from the IROP programme for the construction of the new building. The town’s goal is to start operations in the new premises in 2025, when the Turnov library will celebrate 205 years since its foundation.
Source: CTK
