Plzeň is preparing a new program for the regeneration of the historic center

Plzeň - Plzeň is preparing a new program for the regeneration of the historical core of the city, which was declared a city monument reservation in 1989. The new regeneration program will include a development and restoration plan for the central part of the city around St. Bartholomew's Cathedral, Republic Square, and adjacent streets and the circular park ring for the years 2021 to 2030. The city council is expected to approve it in November, said Technical Deputy Mayor Pavel Šindelář (ODS) today to ČTK.

At the declaration of the city monument reservation 31 years ago, many valuable buildings were in a state of disrepair, and demolition orders had already been issued for some. After November 1989, restitutions occurred, and dilapidated properties were returned to the descendants of their original owners, who gradually began to restore them. Now, no crumbling building disfigures the square. Some properties, restored in the early 1990s, now again require major renovations, said Karel Zoch, head of the municipal heritage care department, to ČTK earlier.

The new regeneration document is being prepared by the City of Plzeň’s Department of Concepts and Development in cooperation with the heritage care department. "The regeneration program also includes an evaluation of the technical condition of the buildings in the city monument reservation, both the exterior and interior, so we would like to ask property owners for their cooperation in creating the new document," said Šindelář. The city is requesting owners to allow city heritage staff and architects access to their properties so that they can assess the technical condition.

The government announced a program for the regeneration of city monument reservations and heritage zones in 1992. Plzeň developed its first program for the regeneration of the historical core in 1996 as a document that collected basic data, formulated requirements, and established gradual steps for rescue and restoration. Since then, hundreds of millions of crowns have been spent on the regeneration of infrastructure, areas, and buildings in the center. In addition to house repairs, for which owners contribute with grants, the city completed the reconstruction of the square in 2008 for 150 million crowns, replacing asphalt surfaces with paving. Last year, the city completed renovations of all main streets in the historical core with the repair of Sedláčkova Street. The church is now restoring the cathedral for more than 100 million crowns.