Funeral hall at the new cemetery to be renovated
09.09.2022 – The mourning hall at the new cemetery is to be renovated to make it barrier-free and not make way for a new building.
On Thursday, September 8, 2022, the Operations Commission, the supervisory body of ESO Eigenbetrieb, voted in favor of upgrading the building, which dates back to the 1960s and is in serious need of renovation, including the crematorium and social areas. Now the city council still has to give its approval and revoke its decision for a new building from 2021.
In addition to accessibility, including the outside area, top priority is to be given to the renovation of the leaking roof, the social areas for the crematorium staff and the stabilization of the basement. A new cold room is also planned for the open area in front of the crematorium. In addition, the defective sewer that runs under the floor slab of the funeral hall needs to be repaired.
Vote after re-examination of costs and upgrading of the mourning hall
A solution for the building, which is in need of renovation, has been under discussion for some time. Yesterday's vote is based on a new examination of the costs for upgrading the funeral hall. This was commissioned to specialist planning and architectural offices at the beginning of the year after the cost increases in the construction industry also affected the planned new building at the New Cemetery: instead of the originally calculated six million euros, which were still in the city council resolution for the new construction of a mourning center from 2021, twelve million euros were now expected. For this sum, ESO Eigenbetrieb der Stadt Offenbach would have needed an investment grant from the municipal budget as the client.
City Treasurer Martin Wilhelm, who is also the department head responsible for Stadtservice at Stadtwerke, therefore wanted an open-ended examination of the costs at which the hall could be upgraded.
Refurbishment does not burden the budget
"The costs are now available. In the meantime, as much as 12 million euros would have to be budgeted for a new building, compared to 8.5 million euros for the refurbishment, plus the depreciation requirement from the unrealized partial demolition variant," says Martin Wilhelm.
"There is also a very high risk of further increases in construction costs for both variants. Based on the current forecast of the company's economic development, ESO Eigenbetrieb can finance a maximum amount of EUR 12 million from its own funds. For this reason, the risk of using funds from the budget for the new construction variant is significantly higher than for the refurbishment variant. Here, the budget would be affected by even the smallest price increase. With the renovation option, there is a buffer of around three million euros available."
Possible solution for a well-used mourning hall
Christian Loose, deputy head of ESO Eigenbetrieb, does not believe it is possible to generate the additional costs for the new construction of a modern mourning center through additional income from the usage fee for the mourning hall. An increase from the current 209 euros for 780 uses per year to a maximum of 250 euros is possible - as things stand now - and is planned once the repairs have been completed. "A further increase would not be accepted and would lead to the funeral hall being used less," says Christian Loose. The 250 euros would also not be enough to finance the planned repairs. This is why funds are being supplemented from the company's own resources.
"We have struggled intensively to find possible solutions for a usable funeral hall," says Christian Loose. "The hall should also meet the requirements for a workplace for our crematorium employees and offer our pallbearers good working conditions. It is important that the planned work is now being implemented quickly. This will not only ensure accessibility, but the people of Offenbach will once again have an attractive hall without moisture damage and with improved heating."
Citizen information planned
The construction time for the work, which is divided into 19 individual packages, is estimated at 15 months. If the work makes it necessary to close the hall itself, the mourning hall at the old cemetery, which will be renovated in 2021, can be used.
The Eigenbetrieb is planning a public information event on the planned renovation of the mourning hall with City Treasurer Wilhelm on Tuesday, October 18, at 6 p.m. in the mourning hall at the New Cemetery.