People can decide on the shape of the České Budějovice housing estate Vltava

České Budějovice - Residents of the České Budějovice housing estate Vltava can decide on the form of the square in front of the Vltava cultural center by June 27. The city has commissioned three architectural designs for the future appearance of the space, from which the winning design will be selected by a public poll. Voting ballots can be submitted at the city hall or in the schools in the housing estate, reported ČTK spokesperson Jitka Welzlová.
    "Several dozen people attended the recent public presentation of the architectural designs. Everyone agreed that the current neglected space should be given a more welcoming form with more greenery, and they appreciated that they could decide about their immediate surroundings themselves," said Mayor Juraj Thoma. He added that according to the winning design, the city intends to renovate the square next year. The costs of restoring the space range from 6.8 million to 11 million crowns depending on the chosen solution.
    Residents of the second largest housing estate in the city can view the proposals on the second floor of the historic town hall building near the council meeting room, in the vestibule of Bezdrevská Primary School in České Budějovice, in the vestibule of Dlouhá Kindergarten in České Budějovice, and on the city’s website www.c-budejovice.cz. "At the exhibition sites, people can also submit voting ballots for the proposal they prefer," Welzlová stated.
    The first option only improves the neglected space with higher quality materials, but the solution remains just as austere as before. The second proposal aims to enliven the area with terraced gardens featuring benches and relaxation zones, while the third option includes a formal orchard.
    The regeneration of the housing estate south of Strakonická Street is divided into five phases and should be completed by 2010. The estimated cost of the local modifications will be around 38 million crowns. Last November, the first phase of regeneration was completed. Residents of the Vltava housing estate can now use new parking spaces south of Strakonická Street and two new sports facilities, one of which is for streetball. The greenery has also been restored, including benches, and a relaxation area has been created in the estate.