Pardubice will not sell the Ideon exhibition center to its tenant

Pardubice - The representatives of Pardubice did not approve the intention to sell the Ideon exhibition center for 20 million crowns. The building is leased by Petr Vašíček and his company PVV for 99 years until 2093. The city cannot unilaterally terminate the contract. The entrepreneur planned to expand the center with a congress hotel if the city sold him the property.

The future contract was also supposed to include the establishment of a right of first refusal in favor of the city for the properties until 2027, except for the terrace, and at the original purchase price. The new owner would also have to maintain the use of the building as an exhibition and community center until 2047 and register this obligation in the land register. At the same time, the lease agreement for the land near the building was to be terminated, allowing the city to utilize it. Its value is estimated at nearly ten million crowns.

According to Deputy Mayor Helena Dvořáčková (ANO), the city could have gained more than just the selling price. It would also collect an annual property tax of about 120,000 crowns, which would amount to 3.72 million crowns by the end of the lease according to the original contract.

Revenue from the lease has not yet covered the costs associated with investments in the property. Pardubice collected 10.4 million, but spent over 11 million crowns.

The lease for Ideon was established in 1994. The city hall wanted to terminate it repeatedly, but its validity was confirmed by the court. The entrepreneur has a contractual obligation to ensure repairs to Ideon, and the city has won two court disputes against him.

The building, constructed in 1963, originally served as a swimming pool. By covering the pool in the 1990s, the main hall of the center was created.