Wednesday, June 27, 2001

Garden is getting new life By Susan Ondrasek Na Prikope 22 has come full circle. Slovansky dum has been home to everything from a German casino to a popular beer garden known for its cheap golden brew and tall trees. After the city gave a long-term lease on the building in 1997, the beer garden was forced to close despite a flurry of protests. But the space is back to its festive self and backers celebrated June 25. Though the days of cheap beer are gone, Sebastian Pawlowski's Copa Group, which oversaw the building's transformation to a retail, leisure, office and residential center, kept the trees and added a bandstand. Work began in October 1999 and the property has reopened gradually. Ster Century opened its 10-screen multiplex months ago and only a few retail spaces are left. The sprawling 11,000 square meters (13,200 square yards) of office space in five buildings is completely leased. Pawlowski says that is because it is the right location with the right price. The complex's 15 luxury apartments will be ready by August. On June 26, Bovis Lend Lease celebrated its 10th anniversary in this country with an elegant garden party at Prague Castle's gardens. The president of Bovis Land Lease, Sir Frank Lampl (Czech-born emigre Frantisek Lampl) and David Broucher, the British ambassador, toasted the firm's accomplishments. Among them: the renovation of Prague Castle's south gardens -- a project of President Vaclav Havel and Prince Charles' Prague Heritage Fund -- and Slovansky dum. See this week’s Real Estate Special Section for news about ING and the mortgage war sparked by Ceska sporitelna. Please send your comments to: Susan Ondrasek, The Prague Post, Stepanska 20, 110 00 Prague 1 Tel. 9633 4428, fax: 9633 4450 e-mail: sondrasek@praguepost.cz More business stories Losing power Growing effort to delay CEZ's trip to the auction block Blackout threatened Country's power workers ask for job guarantees Rumors of low bids plague Komercni's sale Questions raised about manipulation, deficits Kavan tries to head off TV3 fight Officials fear Lauder repeat in spat over new network Movers & Shakers Compaq's Czech chief U.S.-bound E-world From treasure hunting to word processing Local firm helps transform PlayStations into desktop computers Making movies on the go Kal's Korner