Czech Post has put up a building for sale on the public administration portal at the corner of Jindřišská Street and Politických vězňů. State institutions have 30 days to express their interest. The minimum price is estimated at 1.325 billion CZK. This was announced on Monday by Czech Post spokesperson Matyáš Vitík.
If there is no interest from the public sector in the building, the company will prepare an offer for sale to other entities. The form of this offer will be specified in due course. The City of Prague has previously expressed interest in the building.
Along with the purchase agreement, a lease agreement will be concluded, based on which Czech Post will be entitled to use the covered hall of the main post office, the spaces on the second floor and six parking spaces in the uncovered courtyard.
Prague City Hall approved the city’s participation in potential Czech Post auctions for the sale of the central branch and other properties at the end of June.
The city stated that it would prefer a direct purchase of the properties. The City Hall is also interested in the building on Moravská Street in Prague 2.
The extensive Neo-Renaissance building was built between 1871 and 1874 and subsequently expanded.
In 1998, it was declared a cultural monument. Czech Post offers a wide range of services in the building, with the headquarters of Czech Post located in the side wing with an entrance from Politických vězňů Street.
An exciting feature of the building is the 1780 postal compartments located inside. Some of them have their original appearance, while others are modern. Czech Post has been located in the building since 1873.
Last week, Czech Post sold three unnecessary properties in Prague’s Krč district through an electronic auction. It obtained nearly 400 million CZK for them. To reduce losses, Czech Post has closed down three hundred branches in the Czech Republic since July of this year and announced its intention to dispose of assets.
Czech Post sold each of the three properties through its own auction. The building on Na Strži Street had the highest starting price, over 310 million CZK.
Last year, the Czech Post reported a loss of 1.73 billion CZK; this year, it is projected to reach up to four billion CZK, prompting cost-cutting measures. By the end of June, out of 3200 branches, 300 had been closed.