Kopřivnice is selling the historic Bönisch villa

Kopřivnice (Novojičínsko) - The town of Kopřivnice in the Novojičínsko region has decided to sell the historic Bönisch Villa, which has served as a puppet theater in recent decades. It does not have the funds to repair it. The selling price of the villa is nearly 4.1 million crowns. This was reported today by Kopřivnice spokeswoman Lucie Petříčková.
    "The town has made several attempts to obtain a grant for the general reconstruction of the villa, but has not succeeded in any case. The only way to save this architecturally valuable building is by selling it," Petříčková stated.
    The villa is the oldest residential building with urban features in Kopřivnice. The house, designed by the prominent builder Heinrich Czeike, was constructed for doctor Ignác Bönisch between 1888 and 1889. "The two-story villa with an attic and a basement combines elements of Art Nouveau ornamentation, English rural architecture, and folk Slavic tradition," said the spokeswoman.
    In 1945, the house was confiscated, then several tenants lived there, and since the 1950s, it housed a music school. "In 1977, the building was taken over by the puppet theater, which essentially saved it. Prior to the theater's relocation, there were renovations of the interior spaces and additional repairs were made to the facade," Petříčková noted.
    The puppet theater now operates in a cultural center. Previously, it was part of the ROH Tatra Sports Club, and in the 1990s, the car manufacturer transferred the building to the town free of charge. By that time, the condition of the villa was already quite poor. The town commissioned a study for a renovation plan, which included a loft conversion for art school studios, but aside from repairing the roof, no further modifications have been made so far.
    "According to the expert assessment, the value of the building is 3.5 million crowns and the price per square meter of land is 500 crowns. The minimum purchase price that interested parties must offer is thus 4,081,500 crowns," Petříčková stated. She added that there are many possibilities for using the building. It could house medical offices, apartments, a hotel, or a representative office of some company. Interested parties can submit their offers to the town hall by August 30.