The Olomouc Region is negotiating with the state on the free transfer of the large building of the Haná Barracks in the historic centre of Olomouc, for which the Office for State Representation in Property Matters failed to find a buyer even in four electronic auctions. The Regional Council today approved an updated investment plan for this year, which allocates CZK 1 million for surveys and a study on the reconstruction and possible use of Hanácké barracks.
The Haná barracks were used by the army for 170 years and have been empty since 2013. The building has an office area of over 2,000 square metres. Originally, it was considered to house hundreds of employees of state offices, which are now located in several places in Olomouc. However, according to the Ministry of Defence, further use for civil servants would be more expensive than the sale and eventual construction of a new administrative headquarters. Since last spring, a regional assistance center has been operating in part of the building to help refugees from Ukraine, which was militarily invaded by Russia.
The Olomouc Region expressed interest in the Hanácké Barracks building in 2014, wanting to house a museum and library, offices for organisations securing European subsidies and a regional food shop. The Hejtmanství eventually abandoned the plan and is now considering it again. Regional councillor Petr Lysek (Pirates and STAN) told the councillors yesterday that a structural and technical survey of the building and a study of the use of the property are planned for this year. “In the following years, the preparation of project documentation for the actual reconstruction of the building will follow,” Lysek said.
The renovation of the listed building will be costly. According to a 2020 estimate, it would cost around CZK 815 million. Moreover, according to a report to the government at the time, most of the rooms in the Haná Barracks are not suitable as office space due to their high ceilings and shape. The government therefore approved the sale of the building. However, the State failed to sell the property. The Property Office also negotiated with Palacký University in Olomouc, which had previously expressed a preliminary interest in buying the premises outright.
Source: CTK
Photo: denarchitektury.cz
