Brno plans to reconstruct Kounicova street in the center

Brno - Kounicova Street in the center of Brno is set to be barrier-free after renovation, allowing people in wheelchairs to move around without difficulty. The city hall plans the reconstruction, estimated to cost 15 million crowns. The modifications will include platforms for public transport, and a barrier-free access will be created to the city hall building, Mayor Roman Onderka (CSSD) informed in a press release. The previous leadership of Brno did not count on the building on Kounicova Street, as officials were supposed to move to the center. However, the project did not materialize.
    The city transport department, for instance, is based on Kounicova. However, the offices where people go, among other things, to discuss traffic violations, can only be reached by stairs. The planned investment includes the installation of an elevator. According to the current plan, it is scheduled to be operational next year.
    The reconstruction in the street will focus on the section from Moravské náměstí to Tábor Street, which is about 1.7 kilometers. Warning, guiding, and barrier-free features will be added to pedestrian routes, and pedestrian crossings and public transport stops will also be modified.
    Barrier-free elements for the city hall building mean that the city hall considers it for the coming years. As recently as 2006, it was anticipated at the city hall that officials would leave the building and move to the center. At that time, the city acquired a building with the Jalta arcade next to the New City Hall, not by purchase, but through a controversial exchange. The transaction was accompanied by speculation about its supposed disadvantage to the city, and the city council approved it unusually in a secret vote.
    The building was supposed to start being renovated shortly after that. However, the reconstruction has not started to this day, the premises are empty, and the city hall does not use it. Onderka has previously admitted that the city will likely abandon the relocation of officials to Jalta. However, the city hall has not yet found a developer who would buy the property, renovate it for housing, and sell the apartments.