Now 16 months after Prague 7 called a tender to secure new headquarters for the district’s town hall comes a twist in the case: what had previously been presented as a classic public tender has been recast as mere “market research.” Could it be that the district mayor, Marek Ječmének (Civic Democrats, ODS) is looking to de facto cancel the tender without having to admit the process has failed – yet again?

Following almost a year of speculation as to whether the Czech developer ECM would be declared bankrupt, or given a chance to restructure, the Prague Municipal Court has decided on the latter. Astin Capital, which represents a group of holders of ECM’s Eurobonds with a face value of over Kč 3 billion, has been given 120 days to present a restructuring plan. If it fails, individual creditors including ECM itself will be given a chance. 

District administrations in Prague reportedly plan a home privatization bonanza in 2012, with up to three times as many city-owned apartments set to be sold to their residents as there were in 2011. According to estimates, the sales should raise a total of between Kč 8 billion and Kč 10 billion. The Czech capital has nevertheless been slower than other major towns to off-load its residential properties.

Architectural opinion seems divided over the winning Novomlýnská brána development project for a high-profile riverside site in part of Prague’s conservation area. The circumstances in which the final project won clearance from Prague City Hall has also raised alarm concerning conflicts of interest on a key decision-making body — and a seemingly flawed architectural competition paving the way for its approval.