Prague wants to buy land in Veleslavín from Charles University
There are disputes over the land around the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports (FTVS) campus next to the UK and Prague. They are to be resolved by a property settlement, the form of which was approved by councilors on Monday. The Prague council will discuss and approve it at its meeting. This was announced to ČTK in a press release today by municipality spokesperson Vít Hofman.
For a long time, Charles University has owned plots of land in Veleslavín with an area of 7,105 square meters, which directly adjoin the campus of its FTVS. However, in the past, José Martího Street and Do Vozovny Street and a parking lot were built on these plots of land. In 2017, the UK asked Prague to transfer the roads on its land into its ownership, but Prague did not comply with the request. According to Prague councilor Jan Chabra (TOP 09), the reason was, among other things, the need to maintain the passability of the location. At the time, the municipality’s attempt to buy the land from the university was also unsuccessful, which the UK refused, saying that it had its own plans for the land related to the development of the FTVS campus.
Both parties have now agreed that the land on which the road and parking are located will be purchased by Prague from the university. “This way, local citizens do not have to worry that the street would become impassable and there would be nowhere to park, as spaces would only be reserved for students and employees of the university,” Chabr said today. According to him, part of the agreement is that the UK will have the rights to establish a certain part of the building. Property settlement will be approved by representatives of the metropolis.
Due to disputes over land, in 2020 the University of Prague filed a lawsuit in Prague, demanding money for the use of part of its land. So far, according to representatives of the municipality, Prague has paid for the use of roads on university land between June 2017 and June 2020. Now the parties have agreed that Prague will pay a rent of 1.2 for the use of the land between mid-2020 and the end of last year million crowns and another 73,194 crowns as interest from the sale. The metropolis will pay rent for the use of the land to the university until the property settlement is completed. The amount was set at 2,125 crowns per day, which the city will pay from the beginning of this year.
The Faculty of Physical Education and Sports of Charles University wants to present its sports campus in Veleslavín. The school has been preparing the project since 2013. According to current plans, the faculty would like to start the construction of the building with eight indoor sports fields in mid-2025, while the building would be available for teaching and sports from 2028. The dates are in advance and may change.