New department store created from old building in Zlin

A 16-month reconstruction project in the town of Zlin has finished, resulting in a new department store. The CZK 450m project took as long as the building's original construction back in 1931. The chief executive of Prior, the investor, said that the work was complicated by the fact that legal norms are different today than they were when the building was first built. "On the other hand we found a reasonable use for the building whose 10 floor couldn't all be used for commercial uses. The combination of retail, offices and a hotel seemed like the the only possible solution," he said. Just two floors of the building have been redone so far, along with two underground levels used for a grocery store and parking. Some of the shops aren't expected to open until the end of the month.