Klever city center: hope or frustration? Entrepreneur speaks plain text!

Klever city center: hope or frustration? Entrepreneur speaks plain text!

In Kleve it is bubbling! At the latest edition of the Klever Dialog, moderated by Andrea Franken, the tense situation of inner -city retail was discussed. While the representatives of the local newspapers were already looking for the vastness, Bernd Zevens, the owner of the Galeria real estate, took care of laughs with his sharp comment: "I don't think there will be a lot." A sentence that perfectly captured the mood of the approximately 120 guests - and reflects the reality of the city center.

"Future Klever city center-shopping lust or shopping frustration" was the motto of the evening, and frustration is noticeable. Leaving emphasis shape the cityscape, while shops on the fish market close and the Neue Mitte gallery remains a tragedy. The Galeria (formerly Kaufhof) is fighting for survival, and the clothing store Sinn is also on the brink. The start -ups focus on services that hardly any customers can move into the city. Mayor Wolfgang Gebing and potential mayor candidates such as Markus Dahmen were among the guests, while dealers and interested parties shared their worries.

The voices of the dealers

On the podium, Mathijs Driessen from Galeria, Gaby Kreusch von Yarndesign and Ingo Marks of "... & more" were expressed. They emphasized that Kleve was a great city that should not only be considered negatively. Kreusch called for more cooperation, while Driessen emphasized the need for a round table for trade, administration and politics. Ingo Marks referred to the challenges for startups, especially in the rental costs, and called for support from the city administration.

Sarah Philipp, chair of the NRW SPD, brought her experiences from other cities and emphasized the importance of set short -term goals. "Change needs time, but motivate small successes," she said. The evening ended with a lively exchange between the audience and the podium, with wishes such as "more light and greening" and "lower parking fees". Christian Nitsch, SPD parliamentary group leader, concluded with the message that everyone has to pull together to advance Kleve. With the purchase of the Kaufhof property in Wesel, Bernd Zevens shows that he believes in the future of the city centers-even if he doubts about rounds of discussion.