The monument conservationists imposed a fine for the demolition of part of the station

Prague - The heritage department of the Prague City Hall has imposed a fine of one hundred thousand for the demolition of the ancillary building of the waiting room of the protected Vyšehrad train station. According to the department's director Jan Kněžinek, this is the highest possible fine that heritage officials could impose under the current law.
    The matter will still be addressed by the Ministry of Culture, to which the owner of the building has appealed, Kněžínek told ČTK today. "We are waiting for the result," he noted.
    After the affair with the demolition of the waiting room, the new owner of the station, the company TIP Estate, has contacted the architectural studio Omikron-K, led by Martin Kotík. Kotík has already presented the first study for the anticipated restoration of the station, but no official proceedings have commenced yet.
    According to Kněžinek, the study anticipates that the historical building will house a cultural and social center. The owner plans to construct two new buildings on two adjacent plots of land for commercial purposes, the director stated.
    The destruction of the waiting room, which stood between the tracks and was connected to the main building by an underpass, is also being investigated by the police on suspicion of abuse of ownership. The owner also illegally cut down bushes and trees on the plots next to the station and destroyed a new mosaic-tiled sidewalk.
    The station building is in poor condition. Czech Railways has been looking for a tenant since the early 1990s. Last year, they held a tender, and the company TIP Estate offered the highest price. The Prague 2 City Hall was also interested in the building.