Pardubice approved a planning agreement with the investor for a multifunctional hall

Pardubice - Pardubice today approved a planning agreement with a company that wants to build a multifunctional ice hockey arena in Nová Cihelna for billions of crowns. Its preparation took almost two years. The legal document, consisting of dozens of pages, was supported by the representatives. The investment is backed by entrepreneur Petr Dědek, who, through his company, owns the majority stake in HC Dynamo.

"We believe that the investment can significantly advance our city," said Deputy Mayor Jan Hrabal (ANO). He was part of the negotiating team and contributed to the contract's formation. According to him, the city will become a cultural center, and the arena will create a multiplicative effect in the economy.

The project had majority support, with 31 out of 37 present representatives voting in favor. Only opposition member Filip Sedlák (Naše Pardubice) called for the material to be withdrawn, stating that the representatives did not have enough time to study it responsibly. He pointed out that it was an extensive legal document, approximately 200 pages long.

Resident Jan Bureš participated in the debate, expressing concern that the public was not involved in the process of creating the planning agreement; he felt the city did not ask people whether they wanted the arena or not. He added that this gives the impression that people's voices were not welcome in the discussions.

The planning agreement is a voluntary act and is not mandatory for the investor. It serves as a tool for clearly setting conditions between the city and the investor and can prevent disputes, said Mayor Jan Nadrchal (ANO). "We have significantly improved the city's position," the mayor added.

Dominik Bečka (Pirates) mentioned several risks, one of which could be that the investor does not complete the arena, leaving an unfinished shell in Nová Cihelna. Because it is a peripheral part of the city, it was not so crucial for the representatives. "I can't say I'm particularly enthusiastic about it. At this moment, however, I find it hard to find a reason not to support it," said councilor Robert Hrdina (Greens).

According to councilor František Brendel (Together for Pardubice), the intentions of entrepreneur Petr Dědek are not entirely clear. The city had previously negotiated with him about a shareholder agreement concerning the hockey club. Dědek gained a majority. The councilor also reminded that in the past, he did not vote for changes to the zoning plan that Dědek needed to realize the arena and other facilities in the planned extent. However, he supported the planning agreement.

"We have always conducted constructive negotiations. The entire contractual documentation is extensive. Two years of work is not little, but the result is a balanced contractual document that will bring significant income to the city, region, and state," Dědek told journalists.

In addition to the arena worth billions of crowns, Dědek wants to build more sports facilities or a hotel around it. In Hůrky, he plans a large parking garage and a public transport terminal. The city also negotiated that it would not participate in the remediation of the municipal waste landfill that has been in Nová Cihelna since the last century. The city will also not contribute to the operation of the arena. If the investor fails to take certain steps, the planning agreement includes sanctions set in the hundreds of thousands of crowns. "The sanctions are very symbolic for such a large project," said opposition councilor Vít Ulrych (KDU-ČSL).