The Redstone development group is planning to start construction of the last part of the new Šantovka district on a three-hectare site near the centre of Olomouc next year. The project will build on the existing Galerie Šantovka shopping centre and includes several buildings with shops, catering outlets, a theatre and concert hall, as well as a four-star hotel, a residential area and office space. The estimated investment costs amount to three billion crowns, announced Richard Morávek, founder of the Redstone Group..
Galerie Šantovka shopping centre is located on the site of the bankrupt Milo company, which opened in 2013. The shopping complex has a sales area of 46,000 sqm. The Redstone development company decided to expand it several years ago. Initial plans called for a four-story addition with dozens of stores and about 23,000 square feet of leasable space. According to architect Robert Bishop, the project was eventually modified as the requirements of future tenants and the shopping habits of Czechs changed over time.
Instead of one large building, Redstone now wants to build several smaller ones. This will create a new street, a waterfront and a central public space next to the Galerie Šantovka shopping centre. A total of 20,000 sqm of lettable space will be available in several buildings. The main street with shops will be covered. “It should create a welcoming place accessible to pedestrians and cyclists,” Bishop noted. The project includes a new hotel geared toward families, a recreation area and a section set aside for housing.
The development company obtained a building permit for the original project to expand the Galerie Šantovka shopping centre. According to Morávka, the official approval of the modified Šantovka expansion project could be completed in the first half of next year, after which nothing will prevent its construction. “I believe that next year we will start construction work and in 2026 we will welcome the residents of Olomouc and its visitors,” Morávek said.
The Šantovka Tower high-rise building has been part of the planned Šantovka district in the vicinity of the city’s conservation area since the beginning. It is opposed by conservationists and some experts who say it would damage the city’s historic skyline. But Morávka said those fears are false. The preparation of the Šantovka Tower project has been complicated since ombudsman Stanislav Křeček filed a lawsuit against the zoning decision for its construction. Although the regional court rejected it, Křeček subsequently filed a cassation complaint and the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) granted it suspensive effect. The Olomouc City Council may not issue a building permit to the investor until the end of the appeal proceedings. According to Morávka, the Supreme Administrative Court has not yet ruled. “But we believe that (Šantovka Tower) will stand here,” he said.
Source: Redstone Group and CTK
Photos: Redstone Group
