Construction of the new swimming and three-field sports hall has not yet begun, and the next major project is already waiting for the municipality of Gräfelfing - the renovation and expansion of the community center. Here, too, the costs go through the roof.
Graefelfing - The roughly 30-year-old Graefelfing town house is sick at every nook and corner. Architect Klaus Molenaar presented the deficits to the construction committee for almost ten minutes. They range from outdated, broken technology and energy problems to functional weaknesses such as the side entrance for the cinema and library without a foyer, and the stage and library are much too small.
Costs skyrocket to 11.8 million euros
In 2016, the Gräfelfinger Molenaar, who once designed the town house, presented a feasibility study for the transfer of the house into a new era. Building on this, he now presented the current status of a preliminary draft. The good news: The community center can shed almost any deficit if it is tackled courageously. The bad news: Brave in this case also means very expensive. While the rough estimate five years ago was 5.8 million euros, it soared to 11.8 million euros today. Much of the price increase is due to the finding that due to ailing floor heating, all floors of the house have to be torn open and the heating replaced. In addition, the electrical system can be replaced almost entirely. Simply enlarging the stage by adding a stage house extended to the north would cost 1.2 million euros, including the technology. Added to this are the rapidly increasing general construction costs.
Klaus Molenaar's design envisages replacing today's tower with a larger and at the same time airy-looking building in the same place. The new tower would mainly consist of glass, shine like a "lampion" (Molenaar) and give the town house distinctive character.
The new main entrance to the community center, library and cinema, which had been merged for the first time, would also be on the ground floor of the tower - in the form of a 60 m2 foyer. This could be opened to the community center foyer and thus gain even more event space.
The foyer of the community center should above all gain space by tearing down the currently massive staircase to the gallery and basement. Only a slim spiral staircase in the middle of the room is to receive the necessary escape routes from the upper floor. Otherwise an elevator in the tower would make all levels accessible.
The library would get more space by moving the facade to the outside at the expense of the balcony on the upper floor, which is hardly used today. This should create space for a reading café. In addition, new library furniture is overdue and firmly planned.
Mayoress promises information event
The construction committee has not yet made a decision, but the local councilors were convinced of the "many good ideas", even if they went into the money, as Joachim Bender (Greens) stated. It was important to him to take the citizens along with the concept. Mayor Uta Wüst held the prospect of an information event.
Florian Ernstberger (BVGL) unreservedly welcomed the project. The community center has long been on the waiting list and its repair is an important task.
Hans-Joachim Kramer (party-free) missed separate rooms for the youth in the concept. Cinema, library and community center would be used by all generations, said Mayor Wüst. The consulting architect Bertold Ziersch also found the design successful. He just put a question mark behind the spiral staircase in the middle of the room.
The new municipal council will decide
Now the parliamentary groups should first discuss the draft internally; an in-depth discussion and decision is then the responsibility of the new municipal council after the elections on March 15th. If the committee decides to renovate quickly, according to Klaus Molenaar, construction could begin at the earliest in two years. Completion would be around May 2023.
