In V. K., a petition campaign against the construction of a new hall is starting

Karlovy Vary - In Karlovy Vary, a petition campaign against the construction of a new multifunctional hall is starting, which is expected to cost the city more than one billion crowns. The initiator of the campaign is Otmar Homolka from Karlovy Vary, who hopes that the petition will lead to a reassessment of the city's stance on this investment. This is reported by today's Mladá fronta Dnes (MfD) in the regional supplement.
    According to the initiator of the petition, the financing of the construction is not clarified, and it is allegedly going to cost much more than the city officially states. Approximately 1.075 billion crowns will only cover the main and training hall, including access roads. Additionally, at least another approximately 180 million crowns will be needed for the swimming pool, interest on the city's loan, anticipated increases in construction costs due to changes and additional work, costs for internal equipment of the center, preparatory and project work, and so on, said Homolka.
    To form an opinion on the costly investment of the city, Homolka began to look into the size and content of the city's budgets in recent years, comparing this project with similar ventures, such as the construction of the Sazka Arena and its utilization, or the construction of the Tipsport Arena in Liberec.
    "I have come to the conclusion that this investment will benefit only a small part of the citizens of Karlovy Vary. The construction will mainly profit the architects, construction companies, or possibly the hockey team. However, there will be a long-term decrease in the city's investment in equally important, if not more important sectors of the public sector, such as social services and healthcare," noted Homolka.
    Deputy Mayor Petr Keřka stated that he is not aware of the petition. "But if someone wants to express their opinion, it is a legal means of expression," he told MfD.