Osm abandoned customs house in Železná Ruda will be occupied by shops and apartments

Železná Ruda - The abandoned customs office in Železná Ruda, which the city acquired from the state for free over eight years ago, has transformed into a shop for quality and regional goods and a restaurant. The remaining part of the building, namely the two upper floors, is now being converted by the city into apartments. After that, the customs office will be fully occupied, said ČTK the mayor of the recreational town in the border area, Michal Šnebergr (ODS).

There have been two municipal apartments in the customs office for several years, and now an additional five will be created from former offices and service rooms for customs officers. "We already have the construction permit; there was a major issue with the noise study. We are starting to build," he stated. The city wants to complete the apartments as quickly as possible because it intends to relocate tenants from apartments in the fire station building, which will be renovated starting this summer.

The amount needed for the reconstruction of the apartments is estimated at around two million Czech crowns. "The building is in good condition. We will utilize the existing floor plan for the rooms, we will only add sanitary facilities," the mayor mentioned.

Since last autumn, there has been a shop in the customs office selling goods similar to those offered by duty-free shops at the borders. It also sells basic foodstuffs and regional products from Šumava. There is also a restaurant; both are operated by the same lessee, and it is open daily.

The city originally wanted to establish a multimedia center for Czech-German history in the ground floor and basement of the building, where visitors could learn interactively about the history of coexistence between neighbors from the arrival of Slavs and Germans to the present. The center was to be operated by the city’s partner, the New Czech Foundation, for a symbolic rent. "This is the first place where visitors from abroad enter the Czech Republic," said Šnebergr.

The city is struggling to obtain funding for the project from cross-border programs worth millions of crowns. "Another problem is who will cover the operating costs of the center," the mayor indicated. However, he believes that there is still a chance. The last option is that, similar to how a foundation created a drug prevention train, they could convert carriages into a Czech-German center. "If funding can be found, they could be placed on the land next to the customs office, and part of it could be underground. This would make the space more attractive," the mayor stated.

There is a high demand for affordable housing in the city. "People who work in Germany want to live as close to the border as possible. However, we prefer those who work and are economically active in the city," he added.