Jihlava was one of the Czech cities that was introduced in Munich this October. We asked the Mayor, Petr Ryška, a few questions.
You have just presented the presentation of the city of Jihlava on the stage of the joint stand. Can you briefly summarize it for our readers?
We are especially pleased that we can present ourselves at Expo Real 2025 in Munich alongside Prague and Ostrava. This year we are presenting ourselves at this fair for the first time. Jihlava is now a very dynamically developing town with many investment activities as I mentioned in my presentation in the introduction. More than 50% goes to investment, which is the highest percentage of any larger town in the Czech Republic that I know of.
Which of the investments are the dominant ones?
We are completing a very modern construction of the Horácká multifunctional arena, and the first stage of the central transport terminal, which will improve the transport situation in the region, will be completed next year. We take a notable care of the economic infrastructure and at the same time are very interested in housing development, where it is the developers who should be more active. Jihlava is also growing in terms of population, so we are confident that we have something to offer.
When you speak of housing projects, what projects are they?
The town must create a backbone infrastructure in order to become interesting for developers who want to build. I am sure that we comply with that. We have prepared land where one of the larger ones is the area of Handlovy Dvory, where there are some 2,500 residents to live in the future. The project is divided into thirds, two of which we have already sold, and the last third is ready, prepared for sale. So, we need to create a backbone infrastructure there, ie. road network, network or utility services – and then it will be up to particular developers. But we also have other plots in the north and west of the town; there are also plots belonging to the Premonstratensians with whom we cooperate and who would be happy if their plots were used for housing. At the same time, there are also plots in the south of the town, so I can imagine that some 15,000 people could find a new home in these locations.
What size of town are we talking about now?
At the moment, Jihlava has 55,000 permanent residents and, according to statistics, over 70,000 people move around daily during the working week.
Let’s get back to the terminal. What are your expectations there?
The high-speed line will certainly contribute to the development of the town. Jihlava will be a very important stop between Prague and Brno. There will be a huge terminal which the Railway Administration considers to be a very important element within the entire network. And we believe that it will also be significant for people who live here but work, for instance, in Prague or Brno. We hope that this will help us keep them in town. In terms of population, Jihlava is still a smaller town, but we are trying to offer all the benefits of a big city – from culture, sports and social opportunities. However, it is close to nature and everything in town is relatively within walking distance. Once the high-speed line is completed, you will get from centre of Jihlava to Prague centre in 50 minutes. Many people may consider this an interesting opportunity.
The former Prior department store on Masaryk Square is still being discussed. What is its future?
The building is currently privately owned. We could probably buy it out, but the amount is disproportionately high. Nevertheless, now we see how much more meaningful it is to invest in other projects that are more necessary for the development of the town. Rather than buying Prior now, for instance for half a billion, and then doing something else with it for a lot of money, we invest in something more beneficial for the town.
Arnošt Wagner
Photo: Archive