Risk of insolvency for Zeulenroda: The end of the popular Waikiki bathroom?
Risk of insolvency for Zeulenroda: The end of the popular Waikiki bathroom?
in Thuringia, more precisely in Zeulenroda-Triebes, has a popular leisure attraction, the leisure pool "Waikiki" to report tragic news. After almost three decades full of joy and fun for the visitors, an bankruptcy application has now been made. Many residents had been preparing for this message for a long time, especially since the doors of the bath have been closed for over a year and a half. The initial hopes for a rescue of the bathroom have not been fulfilled.
The situation continued to deteriorate in the course of 2024. At the beginning of the year, employees reported that they had been without wages for months or were released without notice. This led to the general realization that the end of the bath was imminent. The "Ostthüringer Zeitung" has now confirmed that the bankruptcy was inevitable, despite earlier efforts to renovate.
failed renovation attempts
The initial plans for saving the "Waikiki" provided for a comprehensive renovation. With the approval of over 10.4 million euros in funding from the state of Thuringia, the rescue was within reach, but those responsible experienced a bitter disappointment. As early as May 2023, the Stadtwerke Zeulenroda registered bankruptcy as the operator of the bathroom, which made the process considerably more difficult. Now the bankruptcy proceedings have opened and the future of the "Waikiki" is on the brink.
Heike Bergmann, the non-party mayor of Zeulenroda-Triebes, said that the city is now facing a difficult choice: Should she appear as a buyer of the bath? The insolvency administrator has already set a price of five million euros for the property and the property, which is a significant financial challenge for the city.
future perspectives and prospective buyers
In the middle of these uncertainties, two companies have so far registered as potential buyers. It remains unclear whether there is actually a sale. Urgency is required because the approved funding is only available until the end of the year. If no new owner is found by then, the closure of the "Waikiki" could be finally sealed. This would not only mean the loss of a significant leisure attraction for the region, but also destroy the hopes of many citizens who had wanted a reopening.
The situation promotes intensive discussions in the community, while those responsible try to weigh the options. Information on this can be found in a recent report by the "Ostthüringer Zeitung" www.thueringen24.de .