Negotiations between the owners of the Vyšehrad railway station and the management of Prague have stopped. The Swiss investor – ČT24 – Česká televize – is said to be interested in the building
“Negotiations between Prague and RailCity Vyšehrad have unfortunately stopped at the moment due to the amount of unacceptable obstacles at the value of the station. According to our information, they are now in relatively intensive negotiations with a Swiss investment entity, “said Chabr. According to the councilor, the Swiss investor has a serious interest in obtaining and repairing the building.
The Vyšehrad railway station building has been in private hands since 2007. Since the beginning of this year, it has been owned by the Cypriot company MIQUELIRA LIMITED through RailCity Vyšehrad. According to earlier statements, the management of the municipality discussed with the representatives of the owners the possibility of buying or changing the buildings for municipal land.
The building from the beginning of the twentieth century was declared a cultural monument in 2000. Investors used to plan to rebuild the building, but the plan also failed due to difficulties in enforcing the project. The building has been dilapidated for a long time. The operation of the station was stopped around 1960 and now it is not possible to restore the original function, because modern standards do not allow to place the station in a bend. The city is planning a train stop on Výtoň instead.
The security of the building is handled by Prague 2
The fate and condition of the dilapidated monument is also dealt with in Prague 2, where the railway station is located. On Wednesday, the city district informed about the closure of the sidewalk at the station building and the removal of the shelter of the Albertov tram stop. According to Andrey Zoulová, a spokeswoman for the city district, the decision to close the sidewalk came from an evaluation of the risks related to the current state of the station. Now, according to the town hall, the goal was to find measures that would ensure the safety of passers-by. RailCity Vyšehrad had the building fenced in the past, but it was still possible to get close to it.
The town hall agreed on the measure with the municipality, the affected city companies or the JCDecaux companies, which operate a public transport shelter for the city.
The emergency condition of the station is also being addressed by the Prague 2 Construction Department, which has conducted a number of administrative proceedings with the owner in the past and called for the building to be secured and for the entry of strangers to be prevented. Both sides also argued over a tour of the building. The owner initially did not want control from the officials, but eventually it took place in September this year. A structural engineer could enter the building and document the condition of the station. “Thanks to the expert opinion, the construction department will thus obtain a relevant basis for its further activities within the state administration,” Zoulová added.