Brno will be looking for a partner for the construction of a science and technology park in the sand pit

Brno – The land in the Černovice sand pit, valued at over half a billion crowns, is intended by Brno for the construction of a science and technology park. At their last meeting, councilors agreed to select a partner for its development, with whom the city will enter into a concession. Another considered option was the monetization of the land through a public electronic auction. The concession is a more complicated and longer variant of sale than an auction. However, the advantage is that the city can determine the specific use of the nearly sixteen-hectare plots. This was stated to the journalists by Councilor Jiří Oliva.

On Tuesday, the councilors discussed two agenda items concerning the sand pit in the Černovice neighborhood. The first related to how the city will utilize the consolidated plots that will be designated as commercial areas in the new urban plan. Two bidders have previously expressed serious interest in purchasing the land, which is estimated to have a value exceeding half a billion. One is the company CTP, for which the area is strategic for connecting with CTPark at the Černovické terraces. The second is Kompan, which wanted to establish its factory there.

While the city would not be able to stipulate what could be developed on the land beyond the urban plan in the case of a public auction, it can secure this through a contract in the case of a concession procedure. "The councilors unequivocally expressed their support for a concession, so we will now be drafting the concession conditions. It will be a transparent process," Oliva said. According to him, it is important for the city to define what it wants on the plots and how to enforce it. "The vision is science, research, innovation, but what does that mean? Offices with microscopes?" the councilor noted.

In addition, the councilors also approved a set of future contracts related to the settlement of property rights in the sand pit. Future property arrangements will be based on a cooperation agreement from 2022 concluded with other landowners in the area, namely the company CTP Invest and Lukáš Málek. These are intended to lead to the consolidation of properties for all involved.

"Currently, the area is unusable because it is fragmented. It is essential for the dominant owners to agree, exchange, and mutually transfer properties so that contiguous areas where construction can take place are created, not long unusable strips," Oliva described. The owners will first conclude future contract agreements. Later, upon fulfillment of the conditions stipulated in the future contracts, they will proceed to conclude exchange contracts and purchase agreements.

The exchanges will affect properties in the municipalities of Černovice, Tuřany, Komín, Líšeň, and Slatina. The sale concerns Černovice. Thus, areas related to environmental utilization, where a large park is to be created, will enter the city's assets. Other plots are proposed in the new urban plan to be utilized as developable areas for commercial purposes, green spaces, or transportation areas.

The Černovice sand pit is a commercial company owned by the city of Brno – the municipal district of Brno-Černovice. In the autumn of 2022, shortly after police intervened there, Viktor Mrňous became the managing director. This year, the city council appointed a second managing director, Robert Quittu, who is responsible for resolving property rights relationships. However, according to information from iDNES.cz, the two men are in dispute over the operations of the sand pit. The mayor of Černovice, Petra Quittová (note: she is not related to the managing director), told ČTK today that the directors have differing opinions, and the aim is to calm the situation as soon as possible and resolve it. She will discuss the possibilities with the city leadership.