Slezan Is Transforming Its Textile Heritage into a New Face for the City

For more than 150 years, textile giant Slezan shaped the face of Frýdek–Místek. Following the end of production in 2008 and the company’s successful transformation, its once–dilapidated industrial sites are now being turned into modern urban districts. In this interview, Jiří Karásek, Chairman of the Board of Slezan Holding, explains why the company has opted for organic growth, why it refuses to rush into building anonymous developments, how it works with the city, and which projects it plans to use to transform Frýdek–Místek.

Slezan has been closely associated with Frýdek– Místek for more than 150 years. Following the decline of textile production, the company was widely expected to disappear. What is the story of the company today?

After 2008, when unrestricted imports from Asia brought down a wave of traditional textile manufacturers, Slezan successfully went through bankruptcy proceedings. It transformed into a company that manages these extensive former textile sites itself and is gradually revitalising them. We were left with underinvested and often non–functional properties without tenants, but rather than allowing these interconnected sites to be fragmented among individual owners, Slezan Holding began to take shape with a clear vision for the long–term revitalisation of areas that complement and reinforce one another.

Ten years ago, you signed a memorandum of cooperation with the city. What tangible progress has been made since then?

Above all, we have created a transparent framework for the development of extensive areas. The memorandum has provided continuity and given both us and the city clear rules that remain in place across political cycles. As a result, the city has acquired strategic sites for a new transport terminal as well as a building for the municipal police. At the same time, through property arrangements and technical measures, we have paved the way for projects that are bringing life back to the city, whether it is Marlenka, the new Lidl store or the Nová Osmička cultural complex.

How important will cooperation with the city continue to be?

Crucial. We have long regarded this area as one of the city’s greatest development opportunitiesan area that can make a significant contribution to its future development while also providing residents with new amenities, services and public spaces. That is why we are taking a systematic approach to planning its future. We are opening up discussion about its potential future uses to experts, working, for example, with VŠB–FAST through students’ diploma projects, and also maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the city about the development of the area.

When selling your sites, you insist that the new owners respect their historic character. How does this work in practice?

It is a moral understanding and a gentlemen’s agreement we have with investors, and one that everyone honours. A great example is the new Lidl store, which will feature an unconventional design for the Czech Republic while fully preserving the textile mill’s original brick façade and gables. Similarly, when constructing its new facility, Marlenka is preserving the entire historicist building at the front of the site, as well as the overall character of the factory.

Ten years of preparation are now behind you. Which specific projects will you launch first?

We are currently working intensively on the designs for three key locations comprising more than 200 flats. These are the JEDNOTA FM, LOUKY FM and TKALCOVNA FM I and II projects. Not all of them have a textile heritage. JEDNOTA FM is a former administrative headquarters on one of the city’s main thoroughfares. Very little had been invested in the building for thirty years, and it gradually ceased to serve its original purpose. We are therefore going to transform it into a mixeduse building. On the ground floor, we will create new office facilities and a coworking space, while the upper floors will offer smaller rental flats with one or two rooms and a kitchenette. I believe we will begin the reconstruction itself in the first half of next year.

Another of your planned developments is Louky in Lískovec. What will make this neighbourhood distinctive?

The LOUKY FM project is being developed on four hectares of land in a beautiful setting overlooking the Beskydy Mountains. We are designing around thirty buildings with dozens of flats and generous green spaces, with a strong emphasis on quality of living. We are working on the masterplan with the Ostrava–based Chválek architectural studio. We do not want to build a uniform housing estate, which is why we are significantly diversifying the range of housing on offer. We plan to obtain planning permission by the middle of next year and begin building the infrastructure.

What will the TKALCOVNA FM project in the city centre bring to local residents?

This is our largest mixed–use development, representing an investment of several hundred million Czech crowns. On the site of the former factory, two large blocks will be built, with retail and services on the ground floor and residential floors above. On the rooftops of these buildings, we are designing spacious family duplexes for clients who want the comfort of city–centre living without the responsibilities that come with owning a house and garden. Synergy with the city is crucial here, as the sale of our land has enabled the development of a new bus and railway terminal directly next to the railway station. Passengers will therefore step straight from public transport into a new neighbourhood offering a wide range of local amenities. We will preserve the original historic weaving mill building and incorporate it into the new architecture.

You operate in a number of locations, but your strongest connection is with Frýdek–Místek. What place in the city is closest to your heart personally?

Without question, the Ostravice River. It is a dominant natural feature that both connects and divides the two parts of the city. Frýdek–Místek has the incredible advantage of being right on the doorstep of the Beskydy foothills. Naturally, this is the place we feel the strongest connection to – an almost patriotic one.

Where do you see Frýdek–Místek and Slezan Holding in ten years’ time?

We want to continue developing the company as a strong, regionally rooted business and a natural partner to the local community, which we have been supporting for more than ten years. We believe that within ten years, an essentially new, vibrant and attractive city centre will have emerged, complete with comprehensive infrastructure, green spaces and modern housing for all generations. We want to continue demonstrating that the combination of sound business, Czech capital and respect for historical heritage is the best way to build a future the city can be proud of.