Future of Villa Baltic: Renovation or decay in Kühlungsborn?

Future of Villa Baltic: Renovation or decay in Kühlungsborn?

In Kühlungsborn, the future of the historic Villa Baltic remains uncertain. Around five years after its sale, a planned resolution on a renovation package caused a stir at a special meeting of the city council. The city representatives wanted to decide on the provision of increased funding of six million euros, which represents an increase compared to the previous five million. These funds will be used to renovate the 100-year-old villa, which has been vacant for 30 years and is in danger of falling into disrepair. How n-tv reported that the federal government, city and state should each provide a third of the funding.

But the hoped-for resolution was surprisingly removed from the agenda, which is why the plans came to a standstill for the time being. The owners of the villa, the brothers Jan and Berend Aschenbeck, are aiming to acquire the neighboring property and build a hotel there in order to finance the renovation of the villa. A property value of around 5.2 million euros was determined, which should support the project economically. The decision on the star classification of the planned hotel was also postponed, which means a departure from the four star plus rating that was originally intended. According to World A deadline extension of one year for contractual obligations was also promised due to the previous delays.

Villa Baltic has a colorful history and is considered an important cultural heritage. Originally completed in 1912, over the years it served, among other things, as a military hospital and FDGB rest home. Interior Minister Christian Pegel (SPD) underlined the cultural significance of the building for the region and emphasized that it is about the history and identity of a building whose reputation extends far beyond Kühlungsborn.