The burned-out casino at the train station in Brno and the underpass is likely awaiting repairs

Brno - A long-standing dispute should be resolved in Brno, due to which the burned-down casino near the main train station has been deteriorating for nine years and the heavily frequented underpass beneath it is in a deplorable state. After years of disputes, the city hall has reached an agreement with the company Porta Brno plus on property settlement. Courts had previously ruled that Brno owns 44 percent of the building, including the underpass. The company did not want to acknowledge this and filed an appeal. According to the new agreement, the building will belong to the company, which must pay the city hall 11 million crowns, said Oliver Pospíšil, the deputy mayor (ČSSD), to journalists today. The land will remain with the city.
    According to the deputy, the company is to deposit the money in notary custody. As soon as it does so and withdraws the appeal, both parties will sign the contract. The document will also resolve the management of the land until the end of 2015. Then the company will either pay more than a million crowns a year for rent or purchase the land at market price. "It will be up to the owner's economic consideration," said the deputy.
    The building at Nádražní Street number 2a burned down in 2002. Three people died in the fire, including two firefighters. It has been deteriorating ever since. According to the city hall, it is a disgrace to the city, being one of the first structures travelers see when arriving in Brno by train.
    For years, no one has invested in the underpass beneath the building, which connects the underground below the station with Josefská Street and is used daily by thousands of people. Due to the distressing situation in the underpass, Brno resident Táňa Kanabe recently organized a petition. In about six weeks, she collected nearly 1000 signatures. She presented the petition to the city. The intensity of the odor in the underpass is also illustrated by a notice on the doors of the public restrooms there. The operator reassures potential customers that the smell in the area does not come from the toilets.
    Pospíšil believes that after the latest agreement, the company will soon begin to renovate the entire building, including the underpass. "However, I do not think it is realistic that the main work could begin this year. Time will be consumed by the planning and building permit processes," he added.