News

Ostrava’s Zoo and Botanical Park has recently opened two new facilities for rare primates and other animals. The macaques and gibbons have now been relocated from the old pavilion to their state-of-the-art new homes.

The City of Ostrava has selected the operator of its bikesharing scheme for the upcoming two years. The contract has again been awarded to Nextbike Czech Republic, which has been running the system for several years.

Ostrava’s main railway station is a major rail transport hub, and its importance is set to grow even further with the planned construction of a high-speed rail line and the complete modernization of the station (a project that will be implemented by the national railway authority, which operates the station). To complement this project, the City of Ostrava is planning extensive improvements to the public space directly in front of the station.

A complete transformation awaits Masná Street in Ostrava’s city centre, close to the historic former slaughterhouse that has now been converted into the Plato contemporary art gallery. Currently, the street is a dead end, but it will be extended to create a link to Stodolní and Janáčkova Streets. 

In order to ensure that Ostrava’s new concert hall boasts the best possible acoustics, a precise copy of its interior (at a scale of 1:10) was created and used for a series of acoustic measurements.

Ostrava’s City Assembly has approved the sale of land between Macharova St. and Nádražní St. to the developer NIRA Projekt Omega s.r.o. The planned development at the site will incorporate apartments and commercial premises, and construction is scheduled to begin in 2024.

On 22 June 2022 the rating agency Moody’s updated the City of Ostrava’s credit rating, confirming that the City has retained its existing rating (Aa3 with stable outlook).

Due to a technical break of the payment gateway provider, it will not be possible to make payments through the payment portal of the City of Ostrava on Thursday, July 21, 2022 from 02:00 – 06:00.

Visitor numbers at Ostrava’s zoo and botanical park continue to grow, and this brings problems with parking. Especially at weekends, the zoo’s current parking facilities are completely unable to meet demand. The situation is now being addressed by the construction of a new parking garage; work is set to begin in the upcoming days.

The City Assembly has decided to sign a contract with the investor First Skyscraper s.r.o., which will carry out a complete reconstruction of the city-centre high-rise block known locally as “the skyscraper”, as well as building a new parking garage on the site. Both projects must be completed within no more than five years, i.e. by 2027.

Ostrava’s City Assembly has approved the provision of 150 million CZK as a subsidy to support the “Black Cube” project, which will create a regional research library incorporating a centre for digitalization and innovation. 

A new city quarter for 12,000 people is set to be built in Ostrava, including a nature park, direct access to the Ostravice River, and a brand-new boulevard that will create a direct link between Ostrava’s city centre and Lower Vítkovice. 

The City of Ostrava has announced the winner of the art competition to find a design for the mural above the Bazaly stadium. Street artist Jan “Bogy” Lörincz will create an original work covering a concrete retaining wall with a total surface area of around 1000 m².

From May, Ostrava’s public transport corporation (DPO) will be gradually introducing 24 new electric buses featuring the OppCharge fast charging system. New charging infrastructure for the new buses will be built at the Hranečník terminal in Slezská Ostrava.

Ostrava has successfully defended its position in the national comparative survey “Cities for Business”. The survey brings an annual evaluation of 205 cities and towns plus the individual municipal districts of Prague.

The developer GLP, a specialist in logistics facilities and distribution parks, has already leased all the premises created in Phase 1 of the newly built GLP Park in Ostrava’s Hrušov district to tenants. 

From the 16th of May to the 10th of June will be possible for members of the public to take their first look at the revitalized former city slaughterhouse and enjoy the beauty of this historic structure before the PLATO contemporary art gallery moves into its new premises there.

The interview with the MayorTomáš Macura. It was done by Robert McLean - the publisher of The Prime magazine at MIPIM. Tomáš Macura is speaking about Ostrava and its reputation as a progressive city.

At its session on Wednesday 23 March, Ostrava’s City Assembly approved plans to sell land in the Ostrava-Jih municipal district for a future residential development. The site, located between Středoškolská St. and U Studia St., has a total area of 12151 m². With excellent transport links and easy access to civic amenities, it offers an ideal location for an apartment complex. The deadline for submitting bids is 29 July 2022.

After a three-year gap caused by the pandemic, the City of Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region once again participated in the prestigious international investment event MIPIM in the French city of Cannes. This year’s MIPIM took place from 15 to 18 March.