The cost increases in the construction industry, which have once again been drastically exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, have also caused the price of the planned new funeral hall at the new cemetery to skyrocket. Instead of the originally calculated six million euros in construction costs, which were the basis for the city council resolution from 2021, around ten million euros are now to be expected. However, this would also include the reinstallation of windows by artist Bernd Rosenheim from the old hall. For the new total sum, the client, Eigenbetrieb der Stadt Offenbach (ESO), requires a financing commitment from the city.
It is unrealistic to refinance the increased costs for a new hall through user fees, says Christian Loose, deputy head of the city of Offenbach's ESO. "The usage fee should not rise above 250 euros so that the hall remains attractive and affordable for members. We have set ourselves this upper limit in order to ensure that the hall is fully utilized and not to place an excessive financial burden on mourning communities."
It is also inconceivable that the city will bear the additional costs for the time being, emphasizes City Treasurer and Head of Stadtservice Martin Wilhelm: "Offenbach's financial situation is known to be very tight. As there is no end in sight to the cost increases in the construction industry for the time being, I would like other solutions to be examined first. Every additional euro that we as a city would have to invest in a new mourning hall would be missed elsewhere."
City Treasurer Wilhelm informed the operating commission, as the supervisory body for the municipal enterprise, about the new situation at a special meeting on January 12. "At this meeting, I suggested that the Eigenbetrieb be commissioned to carry out an open-ended examination of the costs involved in maintaining the old hall for at least ten years. My aim is to achieve the best possible condition of the hall without having to charge citizens too high usage fees. Because you always have to be realistic: Further cost increases during the construction process can never be ruled out."
By the end of March, the specialist planners and architects who were responsible for the plans for the new mourning hall are now to examine the costs at which the old mourning hall, which dates back to the 1960s and is dilapidated and in serious need of renovation, could be upgraded once again. Priority would be given to renovating the roof, the social rooms for the crematorium staff, repairing the defective sewer running under the floor slab, stabilizing the basement and building new cold storage cells. These focal points would eliminate the significant construction defects and obstacles to use identified.
The results of the audit will then be presented to the operating commission together with a proposed amendment to the city council resolution on the mourning hall.