Estimated costs for building a swimming pool in Olomouc have risen to 450 million crowns

Olomouc – The planned construction of a new indoor swimming pool with twenty-five meter lanes next to the city aquapark in the outskirts of Olomouc is estimated to require an investment of approximately 450 million crowns excluding VAT, according to an updated estimate. Compared to the original calculations from 2023, this is an increase of 200 million crowns. This is stated in the explanatory report to the amendment of the concession contract between the city and its owned company Aquapark Olomouc, which was approved by the city council today.

The director of Aquapark Olomouc, Dalibor Přikryl, justified the increase in estimated costs by the expansion of the original project to include additional technologies and a solar power plant on the roof of the building. The new calculation also includes investments in infrastructure around the pool, including parking facilities. The rise in construction material and labor costs also played a role. "The (price) estimate reflects the reality of today’s times. Pools with eight lanes and a teaching pool are in this price range," he told the councilors today.

The mayor's deputy Miloslav Tichý (ANO) pointed out that this is an estimated price. If the city announces a tender for the construction of the pool, the actual price of the contract could be lower due to offers from multiple companies. The management of the Olomouc aquapark does not currently anticipate receiving a grant for the project from the National Sports Agency. "The agency has not yet presented clear rules for the future," noted Přikryl. The construction should be financed with a bank loan after the municipal company Aquapark Olomouc repays the remainder of the loan for the construction of the current aquapark.

The city council today approved a resolution proposed by opposition councilor Dominika Kovaříková (Together), stating that councilors elected in the October municipal elections will receive information from the council about the anticipated costs and financing of the pool construction by the end of this year. "I think it's fair for the new council, which will come after us, to have information about how this pool will be financed and what the estimated budget is," she noted.

There is currently an indoor and outdoor swimming pool operating in Olomouc. People can also visit the aquapark, which was opened in the outskirts of the hundred-thousand-strong city in the summer of 2009. The company Aquapark Olomouc took out a loan for its construction, which is being repaid with the help of city grants. The total cost of building the aquapark will exceed one billion crowns. The new indoor pool is to be built on the land next to the summer part of the aquapark, so that both areas will be connected.

The Olomouc city hall is now preparing the reconstruction and modernization of the aging indoor swimming pool, which was opened next to the city center in 1965. Together with the outdoor pool, the indoor swimming pool is among the most utilized sports and recreational facilities in Olomouc. The swimming complex is visited by about 300,000 people annually.