REGION
stops being a tempting option. That is
why I support key projects such as the
reconstruction of the Concert Hall, which
would include a renovation of the Ostrava
House of Culture and the Black Cube.
Expansion of private projects is another
crucial step. This would include Ostrava
Tower, Organica, the reconstruction of
Textilia-Ostravice, Wacslaw, Small Lauby,
Vojanka, New Amsterdam, the Crossroads
building, the Sitte Palace, the renovated
Jindřich mine, Stodolní residence and
many other projects. The support of
these projects will have a domino effect.
Plans for the construction of blocks of
flats are not limited to the city centre;
they extend to Silesian Ostrava, Ostrava
South and Poruba. Recently, the proposal
for an apartment district in the Žofinka
brownfield was presented, as well. New
housing is the bedrock of development
and Ostrava ought to support prudent
investors because providing high-quality
living spaces at acceptable prices will give
us a competitive edge over other cities.
Another one of our goals is to support
the development of university science
infrastructure, primarily by financing
through the Fair Transformation Fund.
Projects eligible for this would include
the Centre for Research of Industry 4.0
Technologies at VŠB-TUO, the National
Energetics centre, Project Refresh (new
energy sources), CEET, and IT4Innovations.
In addition, we would also like to support
the development of dentistry and creative
fields at Ostrava University. This would
allow the two universities to offer an even
wider spectrum of new fields. Oh, and
one more thing: Ostrava could make do
with a couple new CAS offices.
Locally and globally connecting the city
is another priority of the new vision. This
endeavour aims to strengthen Ostrava’s
position as a regional metropolis
and build connections in the context
of transport, communication and
information. So goes the overarching
slogan for projects currently being
drafted in your field of operation. What
significant projects does this include?
Ostrava is part of what used to be
the Amber Road. The northern
connection, the Místek III. phase and
the first phase of I/56 (which is another
bridge across the Oder, near Petřkovice):
these three key projects are necessary
to complete our road infrastructure.
Currently, the projects’ documentation
is being drafted, and their realisation is
predicted to begin in four to five years…
at the earliest.
The decision to construct high-speed
railways was a momentous one not only for
Ostrava but for Czechia as a whole. Railway
connections from Prague and Brno will
both end at the Svinov station. The segment
between Svinov and the main train station
will receive major renovations. Finally,
northern connections to Warsaw and
Katowice will also terminate at Ostrava’s
main train station. The local government
will therefore have the task of preparing
residents for these changes and arranging
infrastructural
development
around
the Svinov and main station terminals. In
France, for example, new city districts are
often built around these terminals. The goal
is clear: cut down travel time to Brno to one
hour and under two hours for Prague. The
projects are presently in development and
the earliest projections for their realisation
are for 2027.
The Great Mošnov project will be one
of national significance. This is a series of
projects that include the L. Janáček Airport-
steelworks and projects like Škoda Wagon
Works and Škoda Ekova. High-tech
companies, start-ups, the Moravian-Silesian
Innovation Centre, the Hydrogen City
project and other companies that sprout
from new infrastructure and fields of study
at universities are a few more examples.
Ostrava, the Mošnov Combined Transport
Terminal, Ostrava’s Strategic Industrial
Zone, the Mošnov logistics centre, and
the Czech Army logistics centre.
Their support has already allowed
for many of the projects I mentioned
earlier—Great Mošnov, the Concert Hall,
the Black Cube, transportation networks,
support of VŠB-TUO and Ostrava
University. Second is the active participation
of Ostrava’s citizenry in the realisation of
these changes because, without their
work and love for their city, all of these
goals are high unreachable.
As a former centre of heavy industry,
Ostrava is economically transforming in
favour of Industry 4.0. What is the city’s
role in this transformation?
The city needs to support positive
innovation. In terms of traditional industry,
this includes, for example, Liberty’s new
What are your 2030 wishes for Ostrava?
Ostrava needs to become Czechia’s
centre of technology. It needs to become
a city where value is created and
above-average earnings can be expected.
The city centre and its fringes will be
transformed beyond recognition, with
new buildings and a strong cultural
infrastructure that offers countless ways
to spend free time. It will become an even
more significant research and university
hub. The number of Ostrava’s residents
will once again start to rise. There are
two caveats to this, however: first,
development on this scale would not be
possible without the Czech government.
Thank you for the interview, Mr Svozil.
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