Přerov is preparing the ground for the construction of a library, the councilors have changed the zoning plan

Přerov - The Přerov town hall is preparing the ground for the construction of a new city library, which is to be an extension of the municipal cinema building. Local councilors today approved the change of the zoning plan for the Přerov Uprising Square, transforming the area from publicly accessible open space for urban greenery to a civic amenities area. This will allow for the future construction of the new building. The Přerov city library has been located in unsuitable premises of a former villa on Žerotín Square since 1957. The city's leadership has been discussing its fate for several years.

The site near the Hvězda cinema was selected by the city as early as spring 2022; the connection with the current cinema building, according to the town hall, would resolve part of the facilities and auditorium. Moreover, the location is situated in the city center along main pedestrian routes. The planned construction required a change to the zoning plan concerning an area of 1.83 hectares. "The area can only accommodate land for buildings and facilities for culture and education," said Deputy Mayor Tomáš Navrátil (ANO) today. The councilors also discussed that the children's and youth lending library, currently located on Palackého Street, is included in the Strojař residential building project.

According to the opposition, it is good that the project is progressing and the change in the zoning plan will come into effect. The city's leadership could not answer their question about when the library will be designed. The costs for the new library are estimated at around a quarter of a billion crowns. "The city of Přerov should have a larger library. However, we need to organize this project in the medium term; we currently have a lot of significant projects piled up," said Mayor Petr Vrána (ANO). "We have developed the change to the zoning plan, which is complete. Further steps depend on financial resources and priorities; at the moment, we have a lot on our plate - a funeral hall, Strojař. We do not yet have it in the program declaration," added Deputy Mayor Tomáš Navrátil (ANO).

The site chosen for the new library's construction is suitable for several reasons, according to Edita Hausnerová, director of the City Library in Přerov. "Perhaps the most important reason is the generous and attractive area in the city center with ideal accessibility. The connection with the cinema could offer additional benefits for the intent to create a multicultural center in Přerov. The city library could become its flagship, providing not only traditional services. It is an educational institution that supports knowledge and is interested in community life," the director told ČTK today.

According to Hausnerová, the city library organized 765 events last year, with insufficient space being a limitation for the library. "Our classroom currently accommodates a maximum of 35 people; unfortunately, we do not have other facilities available, so we rent halls from other organizations or limit the number of participants, which is not good. The same goes for the capacity of lending libraries for adults, children, and youth. They are not under one roof, and we make use of every square meter in them. According to the standards of a good library, we need a total of 2,500 square meters, but in reality, we do not even have half of that," added Hausnerová.