In the Baťa factories, the demolition of building 25 has begun

Zlín - The demolition of building 25 has started in the former Baťa factories in the center of Zlín. The work is expected to be completed by the end of April, Jaroslava Němcová, spokesperson for Cream Real Estate, which owns the properties, told ČTK today. The neighboring buildings 24 and 26 were demolished at the turn of last year and this year. A project called Fabrika is set to rise on the site, which will offer shops, offices, apartments, and spaces for the University of Zlín in three buildings.
    The demolition will proceed without closures of surrounding roads. "The demolition is taking place without the use of wrecking hammers, using cutting technology which ensures that there are no demolition shocks. Dust suppression is ensured through spraying," said Němcová.
    According to Cream director Martin Jarolím, all three buildings were in a state of emergency. However, some people in Zlín criticized the demolition of the old factory buildings and preferred reconstruction. Once cleared, the space will serve as a temporary parking lot, as there is a shortage of parking spaces in the area.
    The multifunctional building Fabrika could start construction at the turn of 2015 and 2016. It should be completed within two years. The project is estimated to cost about 100 million euros, or approximately 2.7 billion crowns. About 60 percent of Fabrika will be occupied by commercial spaces, with the remainder used for offices, apartments, parking, and part for the Zlín University. The leasable area of the building will exceed 50,000 square meters. In the vicinity of Fabrika, a new transport terminal is to be created on the site of the railway station.
    Cream owns about 50 percent of the real estate in the Baťa complex. They also recently completed the demolition of building 103, which was hit by a large fire at the beginning of last year. Firefighters battled the blaze for three days last January, which destroyed stored electrical appliances worth 210 million crowns. The building was used by the company HP Tronic Zlín. The damage to the building amounted to 200 million crowns.
    The industrial area in the center of the regional city covers approximately 65 hectares, with the eastern part housing the regional and financial office, as well as the regional police directorate. Last year, the construction of the Baťa Institute was completed, which was created by renovating buildings 14 and 15. At the end of the year, a new public transport line began operation here. The western part of the complex is designated for manufacturing and logistics.