Dispute over Villa Baltic: City wants to buy, but opposition defends itself!

Dispute over Villa Baltic: City wants to buy, but opposition defends itself!

Kühlungsborn, Deutschland - in Kühlungsborn, a charming city on the Baltic Sea, the Villa Baltic repeatedly attracts politics. The historical building has been unrenovated for 35 years and shows noticeable signs of decay. According to NDR and should renovate. Mayor Olivia Arndt from the Kühlungsborn list has submitted a proposal that would provide for the current investor to dismiss the current investor and instead take the city responsible.

The costs for the renovation of the villa are estimated at 30 to 40 million euros. This is certainly not a paperboard! Before that, the city had emphasized that it wanted to work with an investor because it cannot bear the financial burdens alone. Now the turn seems: While the cooling born lists for the purchase, several other factions, including DMK, HGV and SPD, have distanced themselves in an open letter from this proposal. They are still behind the already decided overall package for the West district, which also includes the renovation of the villa.

funding and uncertainties

Another important factor in this dispute is the promised funding. The federal and state governments have provided a total of eight million euros, but these are bound to a purchase contract with the current investor. Without this contract, the grants could be lost. This raises great uncertainty, because the statement by the investors, the Aschenbeck brothers from Lübeck, is still pending. The city will continue to wait and see how the situation develops.

In order to send a positive signal, the city council decided in February to raise the funding for the renovation of five million to six million euros. This decision was only made after a negative decision in December. The new decision could be enforced with 13 votes in favor and only 3 no votes. In addition, a prior decision that was directed against the star classification of a planned new hotel was lifted. This cancellation enables changes to the purchase contract and leaves some scope for new solutions, as the Mayor emphasizes.

The monument protection in focus

The renovation of Villa Baltic is not only in the local light, but also in the context of the nationwide monument protection. According to information from the Ministry of Culture Department , many measures aim to preserve the cultural landscape. Funds are given in particular to smaller construction and craft businesses and the funding can be up to 50 percent of the grant costs.

With the approval of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and an approved extension of the deadline, the city is optimistic that Villa Baltic could soon shine again in new splendor. However, the impending decisions, in particular the answer from investors and the financial clarification, remain to be seen. In any case, the fate of Villa Baltic remains an exciting topic for the cooling borns and all interested parties in the region.