The representatives approved the study for the restoration of Buďánka today

Prague - The representatives of the fifth part of Prague today approved a technical and economic study for the renewal of the former workers' colony of Buďánka. The reconstruction is estimated to cost 350 million crowns, and it will be carried out by the company Geosan Alfa. They expect that construction work could start at the turn of 2010 and 2011.
    "It is the best proposal I have seen," said councilor Miroslav Tichý (ODS) at the meeting, noting that it is necessary to act quickly because the devastation is progressing by leaps and bounds. According to the plan, the colony is to be returned almost to its original condition. Some houses will be restored to their exact historical appearance, others will be renewed without original details. Other houses will have a modern character. Five new apartment buildings are to be constructed along Plzeňská Street.
    "We will prepare a detailed study in the near future," said the representative of the investor at today's council meeting. The study will then be submitted to all relevant authorities; if approved, materials for the zoning process will be prepared.
    In the new and original houses, apartments should prevail. According to councilor Vlasty Váchové (ČSSD), this is understandable, because if the company is to make adjustments, it must receive compensation for it. A restaurant will be restored in the colony, which may also include a museum, and shops will be located on the ground floors of the houses on Plzeňská Street. The buildings along the street were demolished during its expansion.
    Geosan Alfa won the investor selection process for the renewal last autumn. If their proposal for the renewal of Buďánka is accepted, Prague 5 will sell the local land to the company. The proposed price is 31 million crowns.
    The original study from the company envisioned a much more radical reconstruction of the colony, which the town hall did not allow. The new plan aims to reconcile the interests of the town hall, conservationists, and the investor. Although the company wants to finalize the plan, it admits that the intention may not materialize. It is not excluded that an agreement with the authorities might not be reached, that old and new constructions might not be harmonized, or that the investor might be pressured into too many compromises.
    The use of the colony from the mid-19th century has been addressed by the Smíchov town hall for many years. The condition of the original houses continues to deteriorate; some have already had to be demolished.