SEPTEMBER 2021
The City of Ostrava seeks an investor for the “Rezidence Stodolní” development
At its session on 15 September, Ostrava’s City Assembly approved the City’s plans to sell real estate in the city centre with a total area of 3 747 m2, bounded by Porážková St., Stodolní St. and Masná St. The plans can be viewed on the City’s official noticeboard (number 1183/2021) and at its website pozemky.ostrava.cz. The deadline for submitting bids for the property has been set as 30 November 2021.
The “Rezidence Stodolní” complex is situated in Ostrava’s historic core, within the central urban heritage zone. It was built in 1927–1928. The entire area is currently undergoing wide-ranging redevelopment to create a new city centre quarter clustered around the Plato contemporary art gallery and including office premises, services and residential units.
The complex is directly adjacent to the historic slaughterhouse, which the City is converting into a modern art gallery. Next to it is Masná St., which during 2022 will be extended further towards Janáčkova St.; a series of residential blocks will be built along the street. The construction of the first block (a seven-floor apartment complex) was completed in June at the junction of Janáčkova St. and Masná St. The area offers excellent access to Ostrava’s key road and rail infrastructure.
The City now plans to sell the “Rezidence Stodolní” complex to a developer, enabling it to be completely renovated (and if necessary, extended) to perform functions that will help enhance the entire area while also reflecting the other planned developments in the vicinity. The development must be fully in accordance with the regulating conditions issued by Ostrava’s Municipal Studio for Urban Planning and Architecture (MAPPA).
Ostrava will have the Czech Republic’s tallest building
The developer RT Torax and the architectural studios Chybík+Krištof & Urban Designers and Anarchitekt have presented their revised proposal for a new skyscraper which will become the tallest building in the Czech Republic. The building will be the central landmark of the emerging Nová Karolina quarter in the city centre. It will have the shape of an hourglass, and the new design differs substantially from the original proposal, which had two separate towers. The other main change is the design of the ground-level areas.
The developer and the City must now agree on amendments to the original purchase contract because the new proposal breaches the current regulating conditions. It will have a larger ground-level footprint than the permitted area, and this will affect road access to the Nová Karolina quarter, meaning that the configuration of the roads will have to be altered. The City Assembly will discuss the annex to the contract at its October session.
The skyscraper will combine a number of different functions. At the top, there will be a viewing deck with restaurants (open to the public), and the building will also include commercial units, entertainment premises, offices (7136 m²), a 4-star hotel (with 242 beds), a congress centre, apartments, and wellness facilities. The height of the skyscraper will be 235 metres, and with 56 floors it will be the country’s tallest building. It will also incorporate 624 parking spaces.
The original completion date was scheduled for 2026. The investor has now requested an extension of this deadline by 12–18 months.
A large-scale geological survey (which began in January of this year) has confirmed that the structure is technically viable. The survey was carried out by an international team of architects, geotechnical engineers and specialists in building skyscrapers. The samples were analyzed by geologists, geotechnical specialists and mining engineers. The final assessment was elaborated by a team of experts from Austria and Germany.
The first of Ostrava’s planned parking garages is set to become a reality
Construction work on the parking garage at Ostrava City Hospital (only in Czech) will begin just in a few days. The contractor is the GEOSAN GROUP (only in Czech); the company was selected by the City on the basis of a public tender. With seven levels, the new garage will be used by hospital employees and the general public; it will quadruple the current parking capacity at the site. The ground floor level will contain a pharmacy, retail units and technical facilities. Temporary replacement parking will be provided throughout the construction process.
The garage will consist of three underground levels and four above-ground levels. Out of the total 465 parking spaces, 27 will be for reduced-mobility users and 6 will have electric vehicle charging points. There will also be 54 cycle parking places. The garage will feature a hi-tech electronic entry/exit system.
The new parking facility will be within easy walking distance of the city centre and the Stodolní train station. It will also be possible to use public transport or bicycles (from Ostrava’s bike-sharing scheme) to travel between the city centre and the garage.
The first phase will involve preparing the site for earthworks and foundations. This will be followed by the construction work itself, beginning with the reinforced concrete piles that will support the structure. The garage is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023.
This is the first in a series of parking garages planned by the City, which will help solve problems with limited parking capacity in the city centre and the surrounding areas. Other garages are planned on 28. října St. near the Regional Authority and at the cathedral in the city centre. There will also be parking for the general public at two more developments that are currently underway – the Nové Lauby residential development and the new University of Ostrava campus.
For more information about the project see HERE (only in Czech).
A new multifunctional building will create facilities for clients at Ostrava’s Technology Park
Ostrava’s City Assembly has approved plans to permit construction projects on the land forming part of Ostrava’s Technology Park (T-Park). The plans will make it possible to build a new multifunctional facility containing premises for all the clients of the T-Park. These clients are involved in various types of research activities and innovative projects; the new facility will help the T-Park to grow and develop as part of its long-term vision.
The T-Park was created in Ostrava’s Pustkovec district in 1997 (when it was known as the Science and Technology Park) in order to support enterprise and innovation. Covering an area of around 10 hectares, it is the largest innovation support complex in North Moravia and Silesia, with almost 11 000 m2 of offices, labs and technical workshops. In 2017 the Science and Technology Park became the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre (MSIC), but the City of Ostrava remains the owner of the land.
The new building will be used by clients specializing in research and innovation. It will contain premises available to rent, including testing labs and prototype workshops; part of the building should be a large open indoor hall-type space, and the remaining part of the building will consist of universal office-type premises. Proposals must include details of communal areas, parking and access routes, infrastructure and utilities networks, and other essential alterations in the vicinity of the building in order to ensure full functionality.
Details of the call for proposals can be found on the City’s official noticeboard (item number 1201/2021) or at the website pozemky.ostrava.cz. The deadline for submitting offers (in writing) is 15 November 2021.
A leading automotive lighting manufacturer is building a testing lab in Ostrava
The German Hella Autotechnik Nova group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of automotive lighting systems. Since 2021 it has had its own development centre in Ostrava, at the Piano building of the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre, where it employs around 100 engineers developing lighting systems for car manufacturers from all over Europe. The centre specializes in rear light clusters (including electronic systems).
The company’s new lab will be located at the CTPark in Ostrava-Hrabová. It will test lighting systems made at factories in the Czech Republic, Germany and other sites in Europe. The lab’s equipment will simulate real-life conditions throughout the normal lifespan of a car’s lighting systems and evaluate the results.
CTP had to make alterations and build new interior structures in record time. They met the deadline, and they have presented the first part of the premises to the investor ready for use. The second phase should be completed by the end of this year.
In the Czech Republic, the Hella group operates at sites in Ostrava, Mohelnice and Loštice. It specializes in developing and producing front and rear lights for a range of major automotive manufacturers. Its clients include Audi, BMW, Volkswagen and Škoda.
The combined transport terminal in Mošnov is now open
On 13 September 2021, the new combined transport terminal was opened at the Ostrava Airport Multimodal Park in Mošnov. The Park covers an area of 52 hectares at the Ostrava-Mošnov Strategic Industrial Zone. When construction work is complete, it will comprise over 234 000 square metres of logistics, manufacturing and office premises.
At present, the first three halls are already in operation and are home to major tenants such as Skladon, Continental Barum, DHL, Geis, Hyundai Glovis Czech Republic and UFI Filters Group. A fourth hall, specifically for ABB, will be completed next year, and the fifth and final hall is still awaiting its construction permit.
The combined transport terminal will greatly facilitate the transfer of freight consignments from road to rail transport. In conjunction with the substantial logistics and manufacturing capacity of the Mošnov Industrial Zone, it will boost the efficiency of logistics processes while also minimizing negative environmental impacts and stimulating the growth of businesses within the Moravian-Silesian Region.
After completion, the terminal will be purchased by IF Invest EAST, a member of the Innofreight group. Based in Austria, Innofreight specializes in transferring freight from road to rail with the application of innovative modular logistics solutions.
The multimodal park is being built by Concens Investments, whose main focus is on commercial and industrial real estate development projects.
Premises available to rent near Mošnov airport
If you are seeking warehouse space or premises for small-scale manufacturing, the City of Ostrava is currently offering premises to rent near the Mošnov airport and the Ostrava-Mošnov Industrial Zone. Tenants will be able to exploit all the advantages of this strategically located site, including excellent transport access (air, rail, road, public transport), a large parking area (free of charge), and a number of centralized services.
Further added value comes from the presence of numerous major manufacturing and distribution companies at the Ostrava-Mošnov Strategic Industrial Zone, which is located close to the site.
The premises are single-floor buildings which were reconstructed in 2004. They can be used for warehousing or small-scale production. Each of the buildings contains a warehouse/manufacturing hall (dimensions vary from approx. 300–400 m²) and several smaller rooms which are suitable for use as offices, technical facilities or storage spaces. There is direct vehicle access to the halls, and loading/unloading areas are also available. Each building has its own WC and kitchenette facilities.
For more information (including contact details) see the City of Ostrava’s website pozemky.ostrava.cz in the section PRONÁJEM (only in Czech).
Looking for an investor for building a new indoor sports centre
At its session on 15 September 2021, the City Assembly approved plans by the Ostrava-Jih municipal district to sell a plot of land on Svazácká St. near the Ostrava-Jih water park. The land will become the site of a new indoor sports centre (consisting of a sports hall, a gym, a swimming pool, other water sports facilities, a sauna centre, and leisure facilities). Interested parties will be required to submit an architectural study, a description of their plans (including an outline of the benefits that the plans will bring to the area and the local community), and a timeline for the construction phase; construction work must begin within three years of signing the purchase contract. The Ostrava-Jih municipal district will offer the land for sale until it finds an investor that submits a proposal of sufficient quality. The minimum price per 1 m2 of the land is 1500 CZK (excl. VAT).
There is currently no indoor water sports complex in Ostrava-Jih (the city’s most populous municipal district), so the sale of the land represents an ideal opportunity to create a facility of this type. However, the land is zoned for sports and leisure infrastructure, so the range of potential facilities at the site is wider than just water sports.
For details of the plans, interested parties can consult the City’s official noticeboard (item number 1221/2021).
Škoda Auto is opening an artificial intelligence lab in conjunction with Ostrava’s Technical University
Škoda Auto is continuing its long-term cooperation with Ostrava’s Technical University by opening a new artificial intelligence laboratory under the brand name AIM.Lab (Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Lab). This initiative is the first joint venture of its type in the automotive industry. The lab, located at the university’s Poruba campus, will be a platform for cooperation between the university and the Czech auto manufacturer. It will focus on three main areas: data analysis, applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence, and optimization in industrial processes.
Although AIM.Lab is a unique project in the auto industry, it is not the first cooperative project involving Škoda Auto and Ostrava’s Technical University. The project is based on several years of successful collaboration between Škoda’s Digitalization and Industry 4.0 Department and the university’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Having gained direct experience of manufacturing processes, students are now well prepared to solve practical industrial problems – as can be seen in the successful joint projects that have already been completed.
Škoda Auto and the university have already worked together on a number of collaborations. For example, since the autumn of 2019, they have cooperated on the development of new technologies for assistance systems, such as the “Follow the Vehicle” system – which enables a form of autonomous driving based on the principle of “two vehicles, one driver”. The vehicle in front is driven by a person; it determines the route, speed, lane and other parameters. Data from steering wheel movements, acceleration and deceleration are sent wirelessly to the vehicle at the rear, which is driven autonomously, following the front vehicle at a distance of up to 10 metres.
Source: Technical University of Ostrava
OTHER NEWS
We invite you to an exhibition showcasing the work of the American architect Steven Holl
Ostrava’s new concert hall, designed by the renowned American architect Steven Holl, is one of the most eagerly awaited new developments in the city today. From 21 September, the Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava is hosting a temporary travelling exhibition entitled Making Architecture, which presents eleven of Holl’s designs that have already been built, plus a twelfth design, Ostrava’s concert hall, which is still in the preparatory phase.
The exhibition reveals the complex and deeply personal creative process that lies behind these remarkable designs; it traces the entire process from the first watercolour sketches, through the more detailed design stage, to the construction of models. Photographs document the construction process, and the exhibition also includes responses and comments by the media and the architect himself. Besides Ostrava’s concert hall, visitors will also be able to see a range of other buildings designed by Holl, such as an art gallery and museum in Houston, a necropolis in Taiwan, a library in Malawi, a cancer care centre in London, and more.
Brownfields conference will present inspirational examples of completed and planned regeneration projects
Moravian-Silesian Investment and Development (MSID) is organizing a conference on brownfields in the region, which will take place in October. Entitled “Brownfields as an Opportunity”, the conference builds on the success of previous years’ events to offer a platform where a range of key stakeholders can meet: experts, members of the public, real estate owners, potential investors, and representatives of the local and regional government, companies and other institutions. The conference will present inspirational examples of completed and planned regeneration projects as well as the latest information on available subsidy funding.
The conference will take place on 14 October 2021 at the Třebovický Mlýn hotel. On the following day, participants will have the opportunity to go on a brownfield trip to view sites in the town of Odry. Participation in the conference is free of charge, and there is a 150 CZK fee for the trip. It is necessary to register in advance (for both the conference and the trip) HERE. The conference programme is available HERE (only in Czech).
Meeting of Moravian-Silesian Patriots on the topic “Sustainability in Business and Beyond”
On Thursday 14 October 2021 (from 16:30), the Akord Cultural Centre will host the 14th Meeting of Moravian-Silesian Patriots, which will address the topic Sustainability in Business and Beyond. The meeting will feature talks by three inspirational speakers: Zuzana Bílková (the owner of the Besky wool workshop), Jan Světlík (CEI Cylinders Holding) and Radovan Prus (an investor from HE3DA). Other attractions will include a panel discussion, a networking forum and a gastro festival.
The meeting will be preceded by a workshop entitled “A Sustainable Future”. The workshop is targeted at the owners of manufacturing companies (or any other companies which produce waste and/or own buildings), including start-ups.
For more information and the conference programme, see HERE (only in Czech).