Refurbishment chaos in Cloppenburg: Demolition of the Red House is delayed!

Refurbishment chaos in Cloppenburg: Demolition of the Red House is delayed!

A drama in Cloppenburg! The demolition of the "red house" is delayed dramatic, and it has to do with asbestos. The parish and the expert company are under pressure due to unexpected additional costs. The demolition was originally supposed to take place in September, but due to problems with asbestos renovation, it is now postponed to the beginning of January 2024. "Asbestos renovation will take until mid -December," explains Jürgen Trojahn from the community church council.

The situation is explosive! A pollutant report had shown that the "red house" is heavily asbestous, and the renovation work of a Saxon company was found as inadequate. When the demolition company from Cloppenburg came, experts discovered that pollutants had remained in the building. "The responsible civil engineer of the expert company did not adhere to the specifications of the report," said Trojahn. This led to a crisis meeting to clarify the further procedure. The renovation work must now be tackled again, and the parish is concerned about the increased costs.

The cost explosion

The financial effects are enormous! The costs for the new building of the kindergarten, which is to be created after the "Red House" was demolished, have now risen to 4.7 million euros, while initial estimates were only 2.2 million euros. In addition, there are rents for the daycare containers of 571,000 euros and renovation costs of 252,000 euros, which drives total expenses to 5.58 million euros. The city bears almost all of the costs, while the Evangelical parish only contributes 255,000 euros

A piece of history is lost

The "Red House", a building from 1948, has fulfilled numerous functions in recent decades, from kindergarten to recreation home. After the demolition, a smaller new building will be created, which should offer space for four daycare groups. The children will be able to follow the construction work directly in front of their eyes, while the old building, which was part of their history, is lost.