The construction of the Pardubice arena for 22,300 people will begin in the summer and is expected to cost 12.5 billion CZK

Pardubice – Construction of a multifunctional arena in Pardubice for approximately 22,300 people may begin this summer. The investor hopes to open it in 2029. They estimate the costs to be 12.5 billion crowns. This was stated to journalists today by representatives of the investor team. The hall is being prepared by MHAP, part of the D+D Group owned by entrepreneur Petr Dědek, the majority owner of the extraleague hockey team HC Dynamo. According to the investor team, the arena should be the largest hockey arena in the world. However, it would also host concerts, for example. The current venue with the highest capacity in the Czech Republic is O2 Arena in Prague, with a capacity of up to 20,000 people.

The investor has invested about one billion crowns over three years of preparation. The price has risen over time; the investor team currently estimates it to be two billion higher than at the start, thus totaling 12.5 billion crowns. "There is a large amount of money in the world. Funds are interested in stable investments. We are a transparent project with a certain yield," said Dědek.

The investor wants to pay for 35 percent of the arena from their own resources, with options for loans from banks and foreign partners. "We are trying to make the arena the best and most equipped in the world. We are currently at 12.5 billion," said Patrik Melka, financial director of the group. The investor does not want to exceed the amount of 15 billion crowns, but if costs rise disproportionately, some aspects could be constructed in phases, Melka added.

According to Dědek, the last few years have been turbulent, with the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and recently the war conflict in the Middle East. He was supposed to present his project in Dubai recently, but he had to postpone it. "We have to adapt to the situation; life goes on," he said.

Due to the construction of the arena at Nová Cihelna, Pardubice previously agreed to change the zoning plan. For about a year, the entrepreneur's team has been negotiating a planning agreement with the city. This includes arrangements about transportation organization, an agreement on what infrastructure the investor will build, and what the city will take into its ownership. "There are also land exchanges and leases. The planning agreement is important for us to continue with the project," said Dědek. Municipal representatives are likely to approve the document in March; the city council will first discuss it next week.

The possible operational support has been a topic of media discussion; politicians spoke about 30 million crowns annually for 20 years. In return, the city could use facilities such as a parking garage, a conference hall, or an ice rink. According to Dědek, this information is not accurate and the topic is currently not on the agenda. "We discussed operational support. We are building a parking garage, a swimming pool, a small ice rink, a conference hall, and we offered the city operational support fulfillment. This is a model common worldwide. There is currently no agreement on this; perhaps we will revisit it," Dědek said today.

Deputy Mayor Jakub Rychtecký (Žijeme Pardubice) told ČTK that the city leadership does not intend to present a proposal for financial support or an operational grant to the investor to the representatives. Neither now nor in the future, he stated.

The arena is designed for cultural and sporting events, accommodating up to 22,268 spectators for hockey games. For concerts, the capacity of the hall could reach up to 25,000 visitors. A hotel is planned for 500 guests, which will include a conference hall for a thousand people. The complex also includes a small arena for 2,800 people and a parking garage for more than 2,000 cars.