Ostrava sold the skeleton of a house from the communist era; its fate is unclear

Ostrava - Representatives of Ostrava have recently sold an unfinished building next to the regional office for almost 53 million crowns, which has marred one of the busy spots in the city for about 20 years. The fate of the so-called skeleton, which was originally intended to serve as the regional headquarters of the Communist Party, is still unclear. The new owner, the company Red House Development, can either complete the building or demolish it and construct a new one. This was reported today by Andrea Vojkovská, spokesperson for the Ostrava city hall.
    "I am glad that we managed to successfully complete this sale. The unfinished skeleton in such a prominent location was a disgrace to the city," said Lukáš Ženatý, the deputy mayor for finance and property, to ČTK. He added that the purchase agreement pertains to the unfinished building and the associated land opposite the House of Culture of the city of Ostrava.
    Whether the buyer will complete or demolish the skeleton will primarily depend on the technical condition of the unfinished building, Vojkovská added.
    Four companies had shown interest in the building and land. The council ultimately favored Red House Development. The city reportedly received double the estimated price based on expert assessments, where the minimum value of the reinforced concrete skeleton, including the land, was set at around 26 million crowns.
    The skeleton in Ostrava was built just before the revolution, and according to the plans at the time, the building was meant to serve as the regional headquarters of the Communist Party. After the fall of the communist regime in November 1989, the building remained unfinished for two decades. The previous city leadership wanted to establish an Administrative Activities Center in it. However, after a change in leadership, the city backed away from this plan as building the center would require a huge financial investment.