Prague has approved a land swap deal with the Czech Republic. The agreement will see the city transfer properties in the area of the Bulovka University Hospital and, in exchange, receive the Karlín Barracks, properties in the Malá Strana district, a building on Hybernská Street, and two plots in the Sokol Praha Královské Vinohrady area. The swap is subject to approval from the city council.
The agreement results from lengthy negotiations between the city and the state, represented by the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters. According to a press release, the properties to be transferred have been valued at nearly CZK 2 billion. The deal will unify ownership of properties in the Bulovka hospital area, aiding further hospital development.
The city has been interested in exchanging properties in the Bulovka area since March of last year. According to Jan Chabr, a councilor for property matters, the goal is for the state or city-owned organizations to use the property or for the city to acquire vacant buildings that can be effectively used by residents or during crises such as the refugee crisis.
In exchange for the Bulovka properties, the city will receive the Karlín Barracks area, which consists of four plots and three buildings valued at around CZK 1.1 billion. The city will also receive a building on Hybernská Street worth CZK 265 million and two properties in the Sokol Praha Královské Vinohrady area worth nearly CZK 95 million.
Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib noted that the approval of the swap marks an essential step in the city’s efforts to acquire critical plots for the construction of public housing. He said that the city would continue to work towards this goal.
The approval of the swap deal follows years of effort by the previous city council. Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš had blocked the swap in the past due to the Letňany plots, which he intended to use for building an office ghetto.