The Erfurt Lion Park: 2.5 million euros for a new sports hall!

The Erfurt Lion Park: 2.5 million euros for a new sports hall!

The wait is over: The long-awaited renovation of the old sports hall at Erfurt's Südpark, now renamed LÖWENPARK, officially began on September 1, 2025. For the Basketball Lions e. V. and the city administration, this is a significant step towards a modern sports facility that is not only intended for the professional team, but also for the youth and community of Erfurt. Erfurt.de reports that discussions between the Basketball Lions and the city councilors began in 2020. A common goal quickly became clear: modernizing the existing sports infrastructure.

In September 2022, the funding application for the federal program for the “renovation of municipal facilities in the areas of sport, youth and culture” was finally submitted. After intensive discussions in the budget committee, the decision to provide funding followed in spring 2023. The project received support from the committed members of the Bundestag Antje Tillmann and Carsten Schneider, who campaigned for the association's interests. There were numerous words of thanks from the club's board members, who emphasized the importance of this support.

A strong financing package

The total investment for the LÖWENPARK is around 2.5 million euros. The federal government is contributing 1.125 million euros, which corresponds to 45 percent of the construction costs. The city of Erfurt is also providing 500,000 euros and granting the building leasehold. A further 875,000 euros come from donations and foundation grants, including from a creative auction of parquet pieces. This shows how much commitment and collaboration is necessary to realize a project like this. Basketball-loewen.com emphasizes that the state capital Erfurt will cover the remaining 250,000 euros, i.e. another 10% of the construction costs.

The design of the LÖWENPARK is based on three main pillars: it will serve as a training and playing location for the youth teams, as a free sports area for young people and finally as a training facility for the professional team. Mayor Andreas Horn was very positive about the progress and emphasized the importance of the association for the city of Erfurt.

The future in the hands of the community

The federal program for the renovation of municipal facilities emphasizes the improvement of social infrastructure. Loud bmwsb.bund.de Since 2016, there have been targeted funding aimed at reducing the renovation backlog at sports facilities and taking climatic requirements into account. Projects like the LÖWENPARK will have lasting significance not only for the users, but also for the city.

The commitment of the Erfurt Foundation E.E.S.T. Foundation shows once again how important community is during this phase. A public fundraising campaign is intended to further advance financing in order to make the vision of the LÖWENPARK a reality. Information about the fundraising campaign is on the website loewenpark-erfurt.org available and show that the entire city is behind this project.

In summary, the start of construction is a ray of hope for all fans and supporters of the Basketball Lions and at the same time a sign of the common will to promote the sports landscape in Erfurt. The renovation should not only bring new impetus to the sports facility, but also unite the young people and the entire community in one place. All’s well that ends well – that also applies to the LÖWENPARK!