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A long-dormant freight station in Prague’s Žižkov district is set to be transformed into a new neighborhood featuring thousands of homes and a wide range of public amenities, following a major land deal between a developer and Czech Railways.
Sekyra Group has acquired nearly 10 hectares of land in the southern section of the former Žižkov freight station. The site will become Žižkov City—a mixed-use district including 3,000 apartments, retail spaces, parks, cultural venues, schools, and social and sports facilities. Construction is scheduled to begin around 2027–28, with full completion expected over two decades. The total purchase price exceeded CZK 2.3 billion.
The new district will also include extensive green spaces and amenities designed to serve both new and existing residents. A historic station building from the 1930s—purchased by the city last year—will be repurposed as a public cultural hub with shops and community space. Nearby, plans call for five kindergartens, two elementary schools for more than 1,300 students, and multiple recreational areas.
“This will fundamentally change the face of Žižkov," said a company spokesperson.
The developer has also pledged to minimize car traffic and fund the reconstruction of U Nákladového nádraží street, which runs alongside the development. The total investment into the new district will reach CZK 25 billion.
The project was made possible by a change to Prague’s zoning plan—the largest such amendment in the city’s history—approved by city councilors last week. The move allows for the full redevelopment of the long-unused freight yard, which closed in 2002. The new zoning plan will allow housing construction for up to 20,000 residents. Around 95 percent of the area will be used for housing.
Sekyra focuses on large development areas and the construction of urban districts, such as Smíchov City, Rohan City or Žižkov City. Other projects include Dejvice Centrum on Vítězné náměstí, Rezidence Čakovice or Rezidence Opatov.
The functionalist station building was built between 1934 and 1937, and it has been a protected cultural monument since 2013. Activists and residents fought for years to save it from demolition. Today, the largely empty building houses a few businesses and art studios. Train operations ceased entirely on Jan. 1, 2016.
