String for Potsdam Tropenhalle: No majority for Schubert's biosphere plans in sight

Potsdam - For the ambitious plans of Mayor Mike Schubert (SPD) and his building administration for a multi -million dollar conversion of the biosphere into a climate leisure hall, no majority is currently foreseeable in urban politics.This was shown on Tuesday evening at a digital meeting of the building committee of the city councilors.

Critics spoke out from various political groups, even from Schubert's red-green red town hall cooperation.There was even speech of a possible demolition of the now 20 -year -old and chronically deficient hall.The hoped-for renovation decision, for which Schubert had advertised, seems to be hardly possible at the moment.How it can go on is open.

Greens parliamentary group leader Zöller: "An energy guesser"

Greens parliamentary group leader Gert Zöller said, it is commendable that in the converted biosphere about climate change and various zones of the earth should be simulated.But an "energy guesser", as this building it is, counteracts the concern.

The SPD city councilor Pete Heuer made it clear several times that the costs for such an "expensive greenhouse" are too high for the city.You have to cover the need in the Bornstedter field more, where leisure activities would be needed there.The CDU had already prepared an amendment for this: to use the tropical hall as a district center, with sports facilities, bathroom, gastronomy and youth offers.Since the hall is not cost -covering anyway, it must now serve the rapidly grown district, according to the CDU.

Horst Heinzel said from the citizens' alliance that after many plans and reports for far more than a million euros, no sustainable idea has come out so far."And climate zones can also be simulated inexpensively with the VR glasses."You can hardly avoid a demolition or new building.

Only a left one explicitly speaks for Schubert's plans

This remained a single opinion for the time being.So Steffen Pfrogner from the parliamentary group warned the other, in the sense of climate protection you have to learn to live with buildings from the inventory - but you can see critically, for example, the perspective plans of the building administration for a hotel on the hall that can continue to curtail the Volkspark.

Only Ralf Jäkel from the left praised the Schubert plans: the biosphere must be preserved as a gem.It is also normal that such an object does not work cost -covering - you have to open up financial aid from elsewhere.However, funding is uncertain or no longer possible, Bert Nicke, as head of the municipal biosphere operator, admitted Pro Potsdam.You have to expect a "worst case" scenario in the financing, he said.That was done in the plans too.

How expensive is it really?

Nevertheless, there were doubts about the renovation costs, which the administration currently estimates at 18.2 million euros.However, annual increases of around five percent are accepted - calculated from 2019, the town hall admitted.However, this would increase the costs of at least one million euros a year by the start of the start of construction until the planned start of construction, to around 25 million euros.According to the town hall, there would be loss of income of 3.1 million in the renovation period that the city would have to bear.

Greens district chief Ken Gericke, who sits in the committee as a expert inhabitant, also referred to around 1.6 million euros per year, which would cost the biosphere even after the renovation - whereby it is better alternatives for such climate buildings in other cities such asErfurt or Bremen give: "Potsdam cannot compete."These houses would also be financed by the respective federal states, added Heuer - Potsdam here.

Department of Building Roubs: Decision is needed for

The many negative contributions at the head of the building head Bernd Rubelt (non-party) finally caused anger.The city council even commissioned in 2019 that a implementation variant for the conversion plans should be presented.If you don't get any decision, you will have to say "Adé" indoor operations, Rubled - According to PNN information, the hall is considered a strong renovation case.On Wednesday, a town hall spokeswoman announced on request for a possible service life that the building could still be operated.However, repairs and repair work are continuously necessary in order to meet all legally applicable standards and regulations.This year, for example, the fire alarm system must be modernized.

Rubelt also said that before 2019, all conceivable variants were checked.Especially with lower admission of admission, these would have proven to be more expensive, it said - also with a view to the CDU application for conversion.SPD man Pete Heuer contradicted this: an inexpensive cold air hall, open, only with a roof, has not yet been calculated, but the "most expensive indoor volleyball spaces in the world" or the variant of an ice rink.The town hall must give up its "permanent refusal" against this idea, he demanded.In addition, it shows that the concept of renovation, which was pursued in 2019, is not feasible, so Heuer Heuer.

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This saw the head of building and Heuer's party friend as well as administrative construction worker Harald Kümmel differently.Half of the before Corona there are 130,000 to 170,000 visitors a year from Potsdam, said Kümmel.Rubelt referred to the utility value of this learning location for schools, but also to planned synergy effects with the Volkspark, which could also benefit residents - for example with a beer garden on the hall.Mayor Schubert also explicitly promoted the plans.But given the speech, he cannot be sure of the majority of the red-green-red town hall cooperation on this topic.

The birth error of the hall: it cannot be rebuilt

Babette Reimers from the SPD commented thoughtfully.The birth error, which has been causing dissatisfaction with the topic for years, is the fact that the hall cannot be used: Such a building would no longer be built today.At this point she received some approval.Nevertheless, hopes for a district center would not be fulfilled, said Reimers.But she also did not want to demolish - you will have to learn to deal with the pain of the high costs.

more on the subject

There was no decision in this situation, and further committees should also take on the permanent problem."In the end, it will probably amount to another investigation, which could be possible," teased a procedural part of the procedure on the side.Because even a demolition debate is unpopular.