At the airport in Ralsko there should be sports facilities, the commission has decided

Ralsko (Českolipsko) - The abandoned Hradčany airport in the former military area of Ralsko is set to primarily serve amateur and professional athletes in the future. The evaluation committee selected three proposals for the use of the site on Wednesday, all of which include the construction of sports facilities. The committee's selection still needs to be approved by the Liberec Region Council on September 4, which has owned the airport since 2007, reported the region's spokesperson Květa Šírová to ČTK.
     The committee chose from ten proposals. The best conditions were met by the proposal from L-Consult. It recommends preserving sporting activities at the airport, such as sports aviation, and adding facilities for cyclocross, go-karting, landkiting, or a ropes course. The airport area should also be used for cultural or motorsport events. The proposal includes creating a production area and establishing new jobs.
     The University of Economics in Prague, whose proposal was awarded second place by the committee, also thought about athletes. It suggests constructing a multifunctional sports complex for the public and professionals. This would provide space for sports aviation, inline skating, or cycling. The airport would also host concerts, sightseeing flights, or model aviation.
     The association Rural Space considers among other things the creation of facilities for outdoor activities, a covered area, or infrastructure for equestrian sports and horse breeding in its proposal. The area should also be connected to surrounding cycling paths.
     "The proposers of the above-mentioned project plans convinced the committee of the feasibility, credibility, and meaningfulness of their intentions, as well as ensuring their viable operation," stated the deputy governor and committee member Vít Příkaský (ČSSD). The council will decide in September on potential financial rewards for the individual proposals.
     The former military area of Ralsko covered an area of 250 square kilometers. The Soviet army operated there until the early 90s. However, it has served military purposes since about the middle of the last century. The concrete airstrip at the airport measures almost three kilometers.
     The region has owned the airport for five years. During this time, it has considered several options for its use; at one point, the idea of creating the largest solar power plant in Central and Eastern Europe was in play. However, only one interested party remained, and they did not meet the conditions.
     The region did not want a landfill to be established at the airport, nor did it plan for mass tourism activities or operations that could have a negative impact on the environment, such as high dust levels, odor, noise, or heavy freight traffic. Industrial use is also hindered by the lack of quality transport connections toward Mnichovo Hradiště. There is a non-functional railway siding, which could potentially be restored. The airport is located in the cadastre of the town of Ralsko, which would welcome the creation of jobs.