<Mladá Boleslav> wants to buy and renovate the historic water tower

Mladá Boleslav - Mladá Boleslav wants to buy and renovate the historical water tower on Vodkova Street near the city center from a private owner. The purchase of the heritage-listed tower built in 1723 will be approved by the Mladá Boleslav city council on March 6. The price is 3.4 million crowns.

The dilapidated tower is currently owned by Comenius private invest. A condition for the purchase is mainly the proof of the company's existence, said Šárka Charousková, spokesperson for the city hall, in response to a query from ČTK.

"The city leadership wants to preserve the historic building through the acquisition, which is one of the landmarks when viewed from the west towards the historical center. At present, it seems essential to begin reconstruction work as soon as possible, so that the building in the heritage-protected area in the city center can be saved and its condition and appearance do not disrupt the immediate surroundings and do not threaten safety," Charousková stated. According to her, the purchase is the only way to save the building. "Given the dubious existence of the company, however, it is uncertain whether this will succeed," she added. Therefore, the submission of documents proving the company's existence and the method of acting on behalf of the company is required.

The city sold the tower in 2001 to a private owner, who later sold it to Comenius private invest. In 2019, the city negotiated the repurchase, according to the spokesperson. The original price of 4.2 million crowns was negotiated down to 3.9 million crowns. "Now the city is continuing negotiations with the owner so that the property can be purchased for the price of 3.4 million crowns, which the owner of the property insists on," Charousková stated. According to an expert assessment commissioned by the city last year, the value is 780,000 crowns.

According to Charousková, the city could finance the purchase and renovation through the Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) program for Mladá Boleslav. "Unfortunately, as of today's date, the final conditions for eligible expenses for a potential grant project are not known. Therefore, it is not possible to definitively say whether the purchase and subsequent renovation, and possibly also corresponding equipment, will be fully included in the grant project," the spokesperson added.

The water tower is the oldest stone water tower designed by Pavel Ignác Bayer. The original stone tower from the mid-16th century collapsed in 1721. The current tower has the shape of a truncated cone and five floors, two of which are underground. During the reconstruction in 1874, the old reservoir was replaced with a pressure vessel, into which water was pumped by a steam engine. The new water supply was launched in 1874.