A petition has been created against the construction of a multifunctional hall at the Pardubice racetrack

Pardubice – A petition has been created against the multifunctional hall at the Pardubice racetrack. It was initiated by the mayor of Kladruby nad Labem and former director of the Old Kladruby Stud, Lenka Gotthardová. She also wrote to the Pardubice council members, and her letter was provided to the media. According to her, the hall for hockey and other sports and cultural events is not suitable for the racetrack. The hall is planned to be built by entrepreneur Petr Dědek, who is the majority owner of shares in the Pardubice hockey club.

"I wrote it (the letter) not only for myself but also for some residents of our village Kolesa, which belongs to Kladruby nad Labem, whose horses are mainly trained for the Pardubice racetrack. The protection of the racing area is very important for the future of obstacle racing and several equestrian disciplines in Pardubice," Gotthardová told ČTK.

Entrepreneur Petr Dědek, who is the majority owner of HC Dynamo Pardubice, presented the project last week right at the site where he wants to build. This is a short distance from the racetrack entrance on the current parking lot. The project presentation was streamed live on YouTube, and journalists, city representatives, members of the Race Club, and other guests were invited to the tent. On a large screen, participants saw visualizations of the new hall and discussed with the entrepreneur's team. Guests learned on site that the arena could host hockey, tennis, boxing matches, motocross, concerts, or fairs. It can accommodate up to 13,500 people for hockey. It is also to include a training ice rink, a 400-bed hotel, conference halls, and a multipurpose gym. Instead of two stands at the racetrack entrance, Dědek proposed building a new stand and also a parking garage.

Against the proposal, the director of the Race Club, Jaroslav Müller, raised objections on-site. On the other hand, Mayor Martin Charvát (ANO) was enthusiastic. "I really like it. The basic condition was that it should not affect the actual track and racetrack, which is visible in the visual. This additional vision will push hockey forward,” the mayor said. Gotthardová believes that the project was publicly presented without a proper ongoing debate with the professional public and also with the residents and councilors of Pardubice. In her letter, she wrote that "developers love to build huge structures next to small houses, thus turning the original homes into little idiots." She fears that the stands of the racetrack will end up looking small compared to the parking garage and the hall for thousands of people.

"Let there be a discussion on the topic, with professional arguments, and perhaps it will be figured out that the hall could be built completely somewhere else,” Gotthardová stated.