The market in Holešovice will be taken over by the Prague Exhibition Grounds from July 2022
From the beginning of July next year, he will be in charge of the administration, development of the complex and all contractual relations, including contracts with tenants. Since the change, the city promises more efficient administration or faster repairs. All market staff will move under the Exhibition Grounds. Deputy Mayor Pavel Vyhnánek (Prague Sobě), Chairman of the Board of the Prague Exhibition Grounds Tomáš Hübl and Program Director of the Prague Market Michal Tošovský told the press today.
“The way we know it so far has been very demanding and very inefficient. To date, there have been only a few officials from the municipal property department. Nevertheless, the program director of the market and several people, whose number was insufficient for such a large area, joined them, “said Vyhnánek. According to him, the municipal department is not ready to manage such a large area with several dozen tenants.
The exhibition center is gradually taking over the entire agenda. “The company (Výstaviště) is not only an administrator, but also a program activity, so we are ready to take over the market in full. We are now penetrating all the intricacies of the state, both in terms of construction and economics. We have to do a financial analysis, now the cash flows are going in so many directions that we need to settle it first, ”said Hübl.
The change is to bring better management of the area and speed up repairs of individual halls and the area as a whole. “So much work has been done at the Exhibition Center in three years that the municipal department would not have the capacity to do. If the people (from Výstaviště) manage to deploy these in the market, I am convinced that in a few years’ time it will show up quickly, “said Vyhnánek. In addition, the vast majority of the money collected on rent will return to the complex. In the past, according to the square, the money went to other property groups in the city.
The management of Prague was considering founding a contributory organization or a new company, from which it eventually withdrew, as it would be more expensive than putting the complex under the Exhibition Grounds. According to Vyhnánek, the transfer of the city has only now begun, given that the Exhibition Grounds first had to deal with a number of its tasks, including the renovation of the complex. “The management method at the Exhibition Center, which has a sales department, technology and all the know-how in addition to the finance department, has proved its worth,” said Vyhnánek. According to Hübel, about a dozen people who have been dealing with the market will join the Exhibition Center employees.
The market will remain the property of the city, which will finance its renovation. The Exhibition Center will already be in charge of the repairs and administration. The municipality will still complete the repair of the former stock exchange, and the Prague Exhibition Grounds will take care of further reconstruction.
The change will not have a significant effect on the operation of Výstaviště Praha. The company included employees from the market in its structure. The increase in the number of employees is in the order of units. The city will increase the company’s investment in investments every year.
Tenants should not be affected in any way by the change. The current contracts will be terminated and new ones will be signed with the Exhibition Center. “I assume that we continue to count on the vast majority of tenants. Continuity is important for us, we want to keep what was good, “said Vyhnánek. The exhibition center is currently taking over all contracts, concluding new ones for an indefinite period with a notice period.
The capital wants to invest two to three billion crowns in the repair of the Prague Market Square in the next 15 years. The area will perform a cultural, commercial and gastronomic function. There will also be offices, a supermarket and a lookout tower. The possibility of entry will be expanded, new greenery will be planted and rainwater will be collected in underground reservoirs.
The area of the originally slaughterhouse in Prague was founded in 1895. It functioned as a slaughterhouse until the 1980s, when it began to change into a market. The area has been declared a cultural monument.