The end of the sky pagoda: apartments instead of landmarks in sight!

The end of the sky pagoda: apartments instead of landmarks in sight!

An era is currently coming to an end in Hohen Neuendorf: the popular Chinese restaurant “Himmelpagode” closed its doors forever on October 12, 2025. This building, modeled after the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, has been a landmark of the city since it opened in 2002. The investment of 6.5 million euros was worth it, but the future looks different. The entire inventory will now be sold by the end of October, while plans for a new building on the site are being discussed at the same time. KW-Development (KWD) GmbH is planning to build up to 620 apartments at this location, as moderne-regional.de reports.

Although the renovation has been decided, there are still considerations regarding monument protection. The Gerlach/FDP/Animal Protection Party/BSW/Zimmermann parliamentary group has submitted an application to place the sky pagoda under protection. Parliamentary group leader Michael Gerlach sees the building as an important symbol of Hohen Neuendorf's reputation. However, the city administration is cautious and does not want to have the discussion prematurely in the city council, according to maz-online.de.

Renovation work and new plans

At the same time as the developments around the Sky Pagoda, important infrastructure projects are also being pushed forward in the region. The railway embankment on the Prignitz Express line near Wall is currently being renovated, which will lead to the closure of the line between Kremmen and Neuruppin. The tracks end behind the level crossing in Wall, and the RE6 currently has to take a detour via Löwenberg and Oranienburg. Between November and January, new gravel will also be laid along the route to improve ride quality. The route is scheduled to open on February 9, 2026, although there may be further restrictions until the autumn holidays.

In another inner city project, residents of Sonnenberg and Schönermark recently raised their voices. Plans for wind priority areas were presented at a residents' meeting. The regional plan for wind energy use provides for almost 50 areas in the Prignitz, Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Oberhavel districts. One of the largest areas covers around 234 hectares between Sonnenberg and Rönnebeck. The “Gegenwind Sonnenberg” initiative has already collected 800 signatures against these plans, and the regional assembly is expected to decide on it this year.

Mayoral election and health problems

But the mayoral elections in Velten also caused a sensation: Manuela Nebel won the runoff election with 51.4 percent against Marcel Siegert (48.6 percent). Nebel was particularly convincing among postal voters, while Siegert was superior at the polling stations. Let's see how the political landscape in the region develops in the coming months and whether the projects discussed can be successfully implemented.