The former hobby market in the center of Ostrava could be replaced by a judicial complex

Ostrava - Workers in the center of Ostrava are demolishing the former Bauhaus DIY store building. The demolition should be completed by the end of January, with the follow-up landscaping to be finished by the end of February at the latest. The city will pay just under ten million crowns excluding VAT for the demolition, Deputy Mayor Břetislav Riger (Ostravak) said today to ČTK. A judicial complex could be established on the site in the future.

Ostrava city councilors approved a land exchange plan this June to facilitate the construction of the judicial complex. The state would acquire the land previously occupied by the DIY store, and the city would gain the land with the building of the District Court of Ostrava, which could be used in the future, for instance, by the Poruba town hall.

"Before the demolition started, preparatory work was done such as the relocation of public lighting and changes to the parking system connection,” Riger stated. According to him, the construction of the judicial palace would be a significant investment for Ostrava. "It would definitely be a valuable building. With the demolition of the DIY store, a symbol of the naivety of the 1990s disappears, as it is a building that should never have been built in the center of Ostrava," Riger believes.

In 1994, the city district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz sold two hectares of land to Bauhaus for more than 38 million crowns. This included the former slaughterhouse, near which the company built the DIY store.

The slaughterhouse, which Bauhaus committed to renovate, deteriorated for many years. The store also ceased operations. The city long tried to reclaim the slaughterhouse, ultimately paying 80 million crowns for it, along with the former Bauhaus shop. The renovated slaughterhouse has been home to the city gallery of contemporary art, Plato, since 2022, which also operated its activities in the building of the former DIY store.

The city eventually also decided on the demolition of the DIY store, and in the future, a judicial complex could be created at its location. According to previous information, construction of the complex was planned by 2030. After its completion, employees from the District Court of Ostrava, the District Public Prosecutor's Office of Ostrava, the Probation and Mediation Service of Ostrava, and the Regional Public Prosecutor's Office of Ostrava will move to the judicial complex. In total, it would involve nearly 500 people.

Originally, the city earmarked a plot of land measuring 6,000 square meters near the Božena Němcová Park for the judicial complex. However, it turned out that it is not entirely suitable for the intention, for instance, due to transportation concerns.