To demolish and then clean up
a brownfield site necessarily involves pre-existing construction. And not just any. It means a neglected property or area where, during previous use, harmful substances such as bromine, chromium and various oils were ignored and allowed to seep into structures and the soil. There wasn’t much effort expended to capture them at the former Zbrojovka plant. What does that mean to us? Most of the original construction had to be demolished due to its parlous state. That went pretty fast. But then came the soil decontamination. The opposite of fast, this is a process that can take years. It was two years with us. Some of the substances were removed chemically. For others it was necessary to mix them with recyclate and wait until they gradually weathered and evaporated. The Czech Environmental Inspection Authority regularly inspects soil samples. You don’t get a stamp until it’s completely rehabilitated. You don’t get a building permit without a stamp. And you don’t build without a building permit.
But I have a factory here
. We have a document of remediation from the ČIŽP, so we’re going to go ahead and build, right? Whoa... Construction in each city must follow its city’s master plan. This determines the concept of urban development and also the type of construction in individual places. But the Brno zoning plan was born in the wild nineties. This year, it turns an impressive 28 years of age. A master plan that is a relic is obviously a problem. The needs of the city and its inhabitants have changed dramatically since 1994, and developments are accelerating. The old zoning plan does not allow a flexible response to such changes.
Brno has been working intensively on a new proposal for the last 2 years. But it has not yet been approved. What does that mean? It means we can draw Nová Zbrojovka, do studies, prepare documentation, but that is all. The result is a very risky investment, because we do not have any certainty that we can build. The master plan says a factory. So there must be a factory. You want apartments? Here I have a factory. Period. Fortunately, in 2020 we managed to enforce a local change to the zoning plan in Nová Zbrojovka. Thanks to this, we’ll start building the first buildings this year.
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It’s not just about us
Nová Zbrojovka is being built on 22 ha. For such a large area close cooperation with the city is essential. This is not just about apartments, offices and shops. It’s a comprehensive development, a whole new neighbourhood for which it’s necessary to build extensive infrastructure. And connect it to the existing networks. Whether that means roads, paths, pavements, public transport, sewerage, water management, flood control measures or civic amenities. A contract with the city is essential for the development of Nová Zbrojovka and this was concluded in the summer of 2021 after more than a year of negotiations. Everything had to be negotiated in advance. This contract is therefore really detailed and deals with who, what, when, where and how to build, authorise and pay for it.
However, concluding a contract does not mean that everything starts moving immediately. Take, for example, flood control measures, which have been being addressed in Brno for many years. Construction of the first stage at the Rondo arena began at the end of the year. The surroundings of Nová Zbrojovka fall into the following stage. This is planned for 2025–2026. Why so late? 70% of the investment comes from the European Union, where administrative procedures, which are often lengthy, are required to draw down subsidies. The other 30% will be invested by the city. However, such a large investment must be planned sufficiently in advance in the city budget. And so we arrive at the period 2025–2026. However, without completely finished flood control measures, we’ll not get building permits for some parts of the development. And if you don’t have them? We’re not building.
Here we go: building permits. Or not?
Once we’ve completed all of this, we apply for a building permit. You’d think it’d be easy by now. But if you’ve ever built or renovated, you probably already know it’s not that straightforward. For a building permit, it’s necessary to obtain a positive opinion from all the authorities concerned. In the case of such a large brownfield site, there are a lot of them – water management, transport, conservationists, utilities, the army, the state, all the neighbours... And so begins the classic round of quid pro quo negotiations, when at the same time each objection raised must be countered. When you finish this dance, the day finally comes when the building department has everything it needs. But then comes the 3-and-a-half-month home stretch before the permit becomes final. As the clock runs down, the last 14 days are crucial. Anyone can appeal or object at this stage. If they do, the deadline will be suspended until everything is fixed. And then? Then it runs nicely again from the very beginning.
What are we getting at by all this? We’re certainly not complaining. We knew what we were getting into. On the contrary. We want to show that Nová Zbrojovka is not really a slowfield. There’s a lot going on here. Two and a half years ago, we decided to go all out. And next month we start construction of the first 4 hectares that are not connected to flood protection. That’s a big little victory. Approval for a project of this scale in the Czech Republic takes an average of 5 and a half years.
It’s full of greenery and the surroundings are pleasantly cooled by water features in the hot summer. It offers meeting places and spaces to experience your longed-for peace and quiet. And you can walk everywhere. This is the vision of Nová Zbrojovka. The most modern district in Brno, designed for the needs of the 21st century.
