<p>The Brno hotel Přehrada is going to be razed, luxury will replace it.</p>

Brno - At the Brno Reservoir, the owner of the former prominent communist hotel Přehrada is demolishing it and plans to build a new luxury hotel in its place. This is one of the symbols of the transformation of the surroundings of the reservoir, which, after the water was cleaned in 2012, has again become an increasingly sought-after recreational destination. Some hotels from the socialist era have been renovated, and new ones have also emerged. The building authorities are also grappling with the fact that people are trying to turn some recreational properties into permanent residences, said Martin Žák, the mayor of Kníničky, and Tomáš Přibislavský, the deputy mayor of Bystrce, to ČTK.

The Přehrada Hotel was established in the 1970s as a recreational center of the Socialist Youth Union and was considered a luxury establishment for its time, frequented even by party officials. After November 1989, a new owner allowed it to fall into disrepair. It is now owned and being demolished by entrepreneur Dušan Novotný, who is also a co-owner of the Unistav company. What the new hotel will look like is not yet entirely clear. "No project has arrived at the building office yet," Žák said.

In the cadastral area of the Kníničky municipality on the left bank of the reservoir, another luxury hotel, Maximus, has been built in recent years. "We are glad that tourism has returned here after years. The municipality had about 250,000 crowns from tourist fees last year, most of which was from this hotel. It is also good that something has started to happen with the Přehrada Hotel. It is a plot of about 10,000 m² that has been neglected," Žák said.

However, the growing tourism is associated with traffic problems that Brno has not yet addressed. "Traffic has significantly increased on Hrázní Street, which used to be one-way. Now it is two-way, but it is narrow, does not meet standards, and minor collisions are occurring. Unfortunately, the transportation department has neglected this for years, and now it is being addressed urgently," Žák said.

There are also other hotels operating around the reservoir, which are reconstructed properties created before 1989. "In fact, nothing can be built from scratch. The use of previously developed areas is the only option. If recreational properties fulfill their purpose, we are happy. However, some people are trying to circumvent the zoning plan and are turning summer cabins into permanent residences. It is difficult for the building office to distinguish this," Přibislavský said.

Similar tricks were attempted by large hotels, which, for example, tried to circumvent the law by creating a retirement home, as was the case with the still-decaying Obora hotel. A legal dispute is brewing in Kníničky, where an investor is converting the former Neptun hotel into apartments. The real estate company Fiedler Reality is enticing people to buy apartments for living. "However, the building permit was issued for the reconstruction of a recreational property, so the planned apartments can never be approved as apartments. We will definitely defend ourselves against this," Žák pointed out. The zoning plan in that area does not allow for apartment construction.

The city is also gradually trying to beautify the surroundings of the reservoir. However, with the increasing number of visitors, Přibislavský believes that it is necessary to establish a concept for the use of the reservoir. "The use should be considered sensibly, and based on longer-term intentions, a zoning plan should be made," he said.