The old Pardubice secondary school will be renovated in three years

Pardubice - The old Pardubice secondary school will start being reconstructed next year into offices and public spaces, and it is expected to be completed by 2010. The Pardubice Region, which owns the building, selected an architectural design for the reconstruction last year and has now commissioned the preparation of construction documentation. The first deputy governor, Roman Línek, told journalists today that the costs of the reconstruction will be paid from the regional budget.
    The winners of the public competition for the urban, architectural, and operational solution of the building are architects Pavel and Petr Maléř from Pardubice. They will now develop a detailed project for the reconstruction for 6.4 million korunas. "The execution documentation will be ready in October; I see a realistic start of construction in 2008," said Línek.
    The design of both architects includes a passage for pedestrians and cyclists leading through the building, as it extends up to the road. The ground floor will be used as a hall for the public and an exhibition space, while offices will be created on the upper floors. The Pardubice Region is thus securing itself in case the state does not extend its lease on the building of the former district office, where 107 regional officials currently work. About 150 regional employees could fit into the upper floors of the reconstructed secondary school.
    The Pardubice Region initially considered using the dilapidated school designed by architect Josef Schmoranz and built in the mid-19th century for a modern art gallery. It either wanted to completely reconstruct it or demolish it and build a completely new facility. However, members of the Pardubice Museum Association opposed this and proposed to the Ministry of Culture that the building be registered as a protected cultural monument. When they were unsuccessful, they blocked the handling of the secondary school with a lawsuit against the ministry. Therefore, the region preferred to back down and found another use for the building.
    The region estimates the costs of the reconstruction at 121 million korunas. "It will be 100% financed from regional funds," stated Línek. For the reconstruction of the secondary school into a modern gallery, the region was promised a grant of 178 million korunas by a government resolution from 2002. "We do not consider this money dead, even though the government has changed about three times since then. We want to invest it into the gallery space at the castle, which is also in an unbearable condition; the exhibition halls are struggling with humidity. We will negotiate with the Minister of Culture to ensure that the promised funds do not disappear and are used for these purposes or possibly for the Příhrádek building, where the heritage officials are based," added Línek.