Before the construction of the commercial center in Ústí, experts are searching for bombs

Ústí nad Labem - A specialized company is examining the area around the church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Ústí nad Labem to a depth of up to five meters, to determine whether a bomb or other dangerous remnants of the war may be hiding there. According to historians, this investigation is justified, as this location was heavily impacted during the April bombing of Ústí nad Labem in 1945. The bomb disposal survey precedes the construction of a commercial and entertainment center called Forum, which will be built in the regional city by Multi Development Czech Republic. Lenka Hlaváčková from Multi Development informed ČTK about this today.
Due to the investigation, the parking lot near the church and the Labe department store is completely closed until August 23. Motorists can use the nearest parking facilities in the multi-story garages under Mariánská skála and near the Czech National Bank, according to spokesperson Michaela Kunštová from Ústí's Municipal Services.
The investigation will take place over an area of 15,000 square meters. Václav Houfek, the scientific secretary of the Ústí city museum, told ČTK that this area was one of the most affected during the bombing because it lies near the railway line. The railway was targeted by American bombers. Although the area was cleared after the war, it cannot be ruled out that an unexploded bomb may still lie in one of the buried cellars, noted Houfek.
The church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was also damaged during the bombing, with its tower leaning two meters off its axis. The tower was secured in 1956 to prevent further leaning.
This church, which people have started calling the church with the crooked tower, is to be the centerpiece of the new space. In it, residents and visitors of the regional city should find shops, restaurants, a multiplex cinema, parking, and a supermarket. The completion date is set for May 2008. The investment in the construction of the complex is, according to earlier investor information, around 1.7 billion Czech crowns.