AWO needs new home manager in Penzberg - new building is delayed

Penzberg - The AWO has to look for a new home manager for the senior citizen center in Penzberg.

There was also an expensive delay in the extensive new construction.

Last December, the groundbreaking ceremony for the extensive new construction and renovation in the AWO senior center was celebrated on Gartenstrasse in uncomfortable, wintry conditions.

However, one present with his open manner exuded southern enthusiasm for his new task.

Javier Gil Morillas took over the management of the home from Christian Schulz in July 2020.

The then 32-year-old Morillas, a Spanish native from Madrid and a trained social worker, had previously worked for four years in the AWO village Hasenbergerl in Munich.

But after less than a year - during this time there were also numerous corona diseases in the facilities and various pandemic restrictions - Morillas stopped again.

This became known last Tuesday on the sidelines of the meeting of the Penzberg Senior Citizens' Council.

On September 1, the former director of the home had his last day of work on Gartenstrasse.

Surprise for managing directors

Hans Kopp, managing director of AWO Munich City, confirmed this on Wednesday when asked for a round-the-clock.

Morillas asked to be allowed to return to his old area, said Kopp.

“That came as a surprise for us.” According to the managing director, “many hopes” have been placed in the new home manager.

According to Kopp, Christian Schulz from Penzberg is taking over the business again as a “secret weapon”.

However, temporarily until a successor is found.

Because the AWO wants to fill the personnel again.

“But it's not that easy in terms of the number of applicants,” admits the Munich managing director.

2.5 months delay

According to Kopp, the position had already been advertised discreetly.

There were two closer candidates, but both did not work.

The problem will be solved quickly, says Kopp optimistically.

But there should not be a quick shot, one is looking for a long-term solution.

In addition to the personnel problem, there has recently been a structural problem.

Because with the ambitious new building there is a total of two and a half months delay, admits Kopp.

The reason was the well-known poor subsoil in Penzberg: first soft peat appeared on the AWO construction site, then to top it all off, massive rock suddenly appeared.

This first had to be laboriously removed, for which a special drill was requested from Frankfurt.

+

At the groundbreaking ceremony in December 2020, there is still sunshine - just not when it comes to the weather.

© Andreas Baar

600,000 euros additional expenditure

This delays the schedule. Instead of initially planned in July / August 2022, it will probably not be finished until September next year, the managing director reckons. Nonetheless, he is optimistic: "We are actually relaxed that we are meeting the deadline," says Kopp. Because without modernization and new construction there is no approval from the district's home supervisory authority. The permit for the existing building will expire at the end of 2022 and for the listed Pfründnerhaus at the end of 2024.

Annoying: The additional work involved in the construction is associated with "considerable additional costs", explains the AWO managing director.

Instead of the calculated 13.9 million euros for the new building, 14.5 million euros are now expected in Munich.

The estimate for the renovation of the existing building is still 2.7 million euros.

The first section with 13 rooms is completed there.

The rest, however, have to wait because the residents have to move to the new building.

63 nursing rooms in the new building

As reported, a three-story building is being built in the south of the property.

There will be 63 nursing rooms, including 32 for single occupancy, with 83 places.

Ten apartments for assisted living are planned on the upper floor - this was a request of the city.

Short-term care should be "sprinkled" in the overall complex, said AWO Chairman Jürgen Salzhuber at the time of the groundbreaking ceremony.

The home is designed for a total of 164 residents.

Salzhuber called it "a very good size".

The dispute and court appointments had accompanied the sale of the municipal property in 2018 to the Munich Thomas Wimmer Foundation, whose chairman is also Salzhuber.

The foundation finances the million dollar project.

It was not until October 2019 that the AWO Munich City, which the city wanted, was able to take over the house from the operator at the time, Novita.