City expects further funding for city center future concept
16.03.2022 – The city of Offenbach can expect further financial support for the implementation of the future concept for the city center. The federal government has promised to include the project to redesign and repurpose the town hall pavilion in a funding program. Funding of 262,500 euros is available for this and for the continuation of public participation in the development of the city center.
The City of Offenbach received a corresponding letter from the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BSSR) at the end of 2021. On 23 February, the municipal council decided that the city's economic development department should now apply for formal inclusion in the BSSR program. The city council has now approved the application.
"Even if it takes a long time, we are determined to make the future concept for the city center a reality, brick by brick. Together with the "Offenbach offensiv" association and in close cooperation with the owners, businesses and citizens. It is very important and motivating that the joint work here in Offenbach is now receiving so much recognition from outside and that we are now also receiving funding from the federal government in addition to the state funding program 'Zukunft Innenstadt'," emphasizes Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke.
In July 2021, the BBSR, on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI), called on municipalities across Germany to submit expressions of interest for the federal program "Sustainable inner cities and centers". Offenbach also took part in this call. At the same time, the funds for the newly launched program "Promoting innovative concepts to strengthen resilience and crisis management in cities and municipalities" were increased tenfold from the original 25 million euros to 250 million euros. "The increase in programme funds enables broad federal funding for cities and municipalities of all sizes in order to meet existing funding requirements for the sustainable development of city centres as well as district and local centers," says the letter from the BSSR to the city of Offenbach. 238 municipalities have been selected for funding.
Broad participation to be maintained
As part of the future concept for the city center adopted by the city council in 2020, the conversion and redesign of the town hall pavilion was agreed in principle alongside other specific projects. The project was initiated as part of the "Active Core Areas / Vibrant Centres" program after the pavilion, which was previously used by the police store, was identified by citizens during the planning process as an important individual project for upgrading and revitalizing the Stadthof.
The 2021 feasibility study, which examined various options for subsequent use and redesign, has now been presented to the city council. The feasibility study for the town hall pavilion was developed with the architectural firms "bb22" and "riemenschneider+" with the involvement of the Economic Development and Real Estate Department, City Planning Department, Main Office and Offenbacher Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft.
"The variants developed build on each other and allow maximum flexibility for the new use of the town hall pavilion. A change of use is possible at any time. The planning phase will now examine whether the most far-reaching variant, together with a green roof and partial public use, is structurally and financially feasible. The city councillors will then decide on this again," explains Paul-Gerhard Weiß, head of the building department.
In order to find a possible operator concept, the city of Offenbach has already been granted funding in 2021 as part of the state funding program "Zukunft Innenstadt". Parallel to the planning process, a concrete strategy is to be developed as to what the path to a future operator model could look like. For example, an innovative mix of discourse formats with interested stakeholders and the city to create additional publicity and a subsequent competition format is conceivable. The results of the in-depth project planning and the possible operator concepts will then be presented to the city councillors again for a decision.
For all topics under the umbrella of the "Future Concept for the City Center", the broad public participation already begun in the conception phase is now to be consolidated in a fixed format by the newly founded Agentur Mitte. The funds from the federal government can also be used for the conception and implementation of this format once the funding decision has been received.
The participation format is aimed at all stakeholders in the city center, including owners, investors, tradespeople, the "Offenbach offensiv" association, the city administration, the University of Art and Design and interested citizens. "We are constantly promoting new interventions and collaborations within the scope of our funds - the city center should become a lively center by and for everyone," says Anna-Maria Rose from Agentur Mitte, explaining the overall coordination of all projects that run under the umbrella of the future concept for the city center. Mayor Schwenke adds: "The strength of our Offenbach approach is that we don't just think in terms of individual projects, but integrate them into an overall strategy for the next decade. To achieve this, it is also necessary to involve all stakeholders in the next implementation steps, because we can only accomplish this enormous task together."
