In 1952, some equipment was returned and spirits were once again produced here. The business was renamed “Spojené lihovary, národní podnik” (United Distilleries, national enterprise), with Lihovar as its headquarters, and it became a part of the food group known as KOLI (Konzervárny a lihovary – Canneries and Distilleries), which was involved in food processing, conservation and pickling – preservation. A large central laboratory was set up on the site for food testing and analysis.

The most significant structural change was the renovation of part of the site as a vinegar plant. The plant had 7 acidifiers and 26 vats and became the largest vinegar producer in the Czechoslovakia.

Zlatý lihovar, a.s., a company owned by foreign investors, purchased the company in March 1999 in bankruptcy proceedings. As well as the Zlíchov distillery, they also acquired property across the whole of Prague, e.g. Jateční, Bělehradská, Komunardů (later, the Komunardů 33 residential project was established here in 2013) and Voctářova.

At the time, the state enterprise produced 11 types of consumer spirits and three types of vinegar. Consumer spirits refers to spirits based on grain spirits with flavours and colourings added, and these included “tuzemák” (colloquially referred to as “rum”), halb und halb, apricot brandy, peach brandy, amaretto, vodka, fernet, etc. The company had two bottling lines – one for the traditional half-litre bottle and one for 0.2 l bottles. Spirits also used to be canned – e.g. 0.33 l vodka for the Russian market.

The chaos that ensued in the takeover of operations by Czech management, a fall in sales and ill-advised investments led to deeper economic problems which led to shareholders deciding to cease the company’s operations in spring 2000. There were also gradual changes in the shareholder structure, and later in 2000 Michael Barnett, who had replaced one of the investors at the end of 1999, became the sole shareholder. He later ran Zlatý lihovar via Goldfin Investments Ltd. based in the British Virgin Islands.

Barnett joined the shareholder structure with reference to his family’s historical roots, with his mother coming from Valašské Meziříčí, and he wanted to build his investment on this line. Over the course of 2000, vinegar production progressively ended, employees were laid off and stocks and production technologies were sold. This continued to 2002, at which time around 60 employees worked at the site.

By the end of 2000, however, plans were being made to change the site’s zoning plan and remove Lihovar from a large development zone with a ban on construction. A change to the zoning plan featuring a multipurpose project (apartments, offices, stores, hotel) was achieved in 2003.

Wrangles between the shareholder and the former CEO and minority shareholder of the business led to the project’s implementation being postponed.

Once these “difficulties” had been overcome, negotiations began in 2007 on sale of the site to an investment group from Ireland. Unfortunately, the global financial crisis put an end to these negotiations, with all activities subsequently put on hold until the end of 2014, when shareholders assessed that the construction market was in recovery. The original project was rejected, and negotiations began with leading development groups in the Czech Republic on the suitability of building on the site. The territory’s distance from the metro ruled out office projects, and nor was it sensible to try to compete with the shopping centre at Anděl. The only possible use for the site was building apartments.

The company subsequently began choosing architects who would take on the production of a project for a zoning decision. In May 2015, Geddes Kaňka, s.r.o. began design work, and September 2015 saw the presentation of the project’s first concept.

In early 2016, a Trigema acquisition employee contacted Zlatý lihovar management, and the initial ideas of co-operating on the project were born. Barnett later determined that the project was so large that it would be good to get together with a joint venture partner. Later, the idea of a joint venture partnership became one to acquire a buyer. Trigema was interested from the outset, but problems in agreeing on conditions of the sale and poor communication meant that Barnett began discussions with other groups, of which Daramis Group was the most interested.

Almost right before the contract with Daramis was signed, however, negotiations changed again, and another entity joined the fray. Nevertheless, complex and prolonged negotiations led Michael Barnett to the decision that determined Trigema as the victor. While the price offered was lower than its rivals, Barnett prioritised the signature of a simple contract with Marcel Soural and his Trigema group.

The preliminary contract to purchase Zlatý lihovar shares was signed in autumn 2017, with one condition from Zlatý lihovar – to acquire planning permission for a residential project with 52,000 m2 gross floor area, with 90/10 residential use ratio. Zlatý lihovar a.s. presented a further three project versions before the final version of the project was approved by Prague 5 council, the Institute of Planning and Development and conservationists. Zoning permission was granted in October 2020.

As soon as zoning permission was granted, steps leading to signature of a contract on transferral of shares began, and signature occurred on 15 January 2021 at the seat of ČSOB bank, with the participation of representatives of both parties, Zlatý lihovar a.s. and Trigema a.s.

It was at this time that Trigema decided that the project should incorporate 535 apartment units, the same number of parking spaces plus 7,400 m2 of retail space across three implementation phases. Work on the Lihovar project continues at pace. The site, 2.2 ha in size with a gross floor area of 52,000 m2, has been divided into three sections. Considering the site’s location between two roads and the longer sides running from north to south, the phases have been logically divided up into NORTH, CENTRAL and SOUTH phases.

In March 2022, following the acquisition of planning permission, construction work began on the NORTH phase.

Completion of this phase, comprising 241 apartments, 14 commercial units and a green roof with garden, is planned for March 2024.

Design work on Phases 2 and 3, CENTRAL and SOUTH are also continuing and Trigema anticipates that construction will begin in April 2024, with the entire project completed by 2026.