Horní Slavkov received a grant for the repair of the church bronze field

Horní Slavkov - The town of Horní Slavkov in Sokolov district has received a grant of 11 million Czech crowns for the restoration of St. George's Church. The funds come from a grant program for the repair of so-called brownfields, which are mostly abandoned industrial areas. According to the town mayor Alexander Terek (independent), however, the dilapidated unused church also meets the criteria for brownfields.

"We applied for 11 million Czech crowns and we received 11 million. The total costs for the first phase are estimated at 24 million Czech crowns. We already have a contractor selected, and our appeal deadlines are running, and we will start construction in about a month," Terek told ČTK.

"When we defined that the church is deconsecrated, it has lost its original function, as it is not used for church ceremonies, and since the church donated it to the town about 20 years ago, its use for church purposes is not considered. And it is a dilapidated object. So it met all the conditions for a brownfield," the mayor described the unusual way to categorize the church among brownfields.

Terek mentioned that when he explains the approach of the Horní Slavkov city council to other mayors, they are surprised, and perhaps some of them will try to follow a similar path, as there are more such objects in their municipalities and towns.

Horní Slavkov wants to transform St. George's Church into a cultural and social hub for the town. Besides the building itself, its immediate surroundings will also be modified, roads, parking lots will need to be added, facilities for social services, and similar improvements. The obtained grant for unused dilapidated properties is thus the first step towards the restoration of the crumbling monument.