Dobřany will renovate the square for 47 million CZK for the citizens and tourists

Dobřany (Plzeň region) - The largest reconstruction of a town square outside of Pilsen will take place in Dobřany, to the south of Pilsen, costing 47 million crowns. Tourists and locals will be attracted to the new 1.4-hectare area with colorful natural granite starting from the end of March 2010, three months earlier than planned. The European Union has contributed 76 percent of the costs for the restoration of the square, which is the main part of the protected heritage zone. It will calm the center, enhance the quality of life for residents, and increase the city's attractiveness, said Mayor Jaroslav Sýkora to ČTK.
    "In a public opinion poll, the restoration of the square was the third most requested investment," said councilor Marek Sýkora from the six-thousand-strong town. Citizens most want a supermarket, followed by a swimming pool in second place.
    The city has already restored all the networks in the square and is finishing the roads and sidewalks. "They will help entrepreneurs who will open and expand their businesses in the square," the mayor stated. The town hall will cover the entire surface with paving instead of the current asphalt, create new parking spaces, and restore a fountain according to an 18th-century project that no longer exists in the area.
    It will be located on the southwest side, with seating areas around it. It will be adorned with a monument called Tribute to Baroque, made of a special metal that fits into the character of the historical center. "In Dobřany, there are several elements and buildings from the Baroque period. The fountain will be illuminated at night and will become a very prominent feature of the new square," Sýkora added. The historically styled furnishings will consist of 30 benches, poster boards, lamps, bicycle stands, and notice boards. The space will be further enlivened with more trees than the project originally anticipated.
    "The goal is for the square to be a place for residents and visitors to meet and spend their free time. It will be technically prepared for hosting cultural events," the mayor added.
    The entire project is one of the most demanding investment actions of the city. Without EU assistance, it would not have been funded. In 2004 and 2005, the town hall renovated an elementary school for 35 million crowns, and two years earlier, it worked on the bypass through the town. Approximately 46 out of 66 million crowns were invested by the state's road authority, with the remainder provided by the town hall for sidewalks, greenery, and lighting. The largest project in Dobřany in the last decade was the commissioning of a wastewater treatment plant and sewer system in the main parts of the town last year, costing 100 million crowns, with three-quarters funded by the EU.
    Smaller European funding for the restoration of squares has also been received in the Plzeň region by Přimda and Černošín in Tachov, Strašice and Mýto in Rokycany, Kašperské Hory in Klatovy, and Holýšov in Domažlice.