Tennis club Eichenau wants to build a new clubhouse - costs in the six-figure range

Created: 12/30/2022 11:57 am

By: Thomas Benedict

The clubhouse of TC Eichenau dates back to the 1980s.

Now the members have decided that it should be rebuilt.

© Boehmer

New construction instead of renovation: TC Eichenau wants to modernize its clubhouse from the ground up.

The members of the tennis club have now spoken out in favor of this.

The remarkable thing: The TCE can probably shoulder the project alone.

Eichenau

– It has long been clear to those responsible at TC Eichenau that something needs to be done about the somewhat outdated clubhouse.

Not only is the age of the clubhouse, built in 1983, slowly becoming noticeable.

Some of the earlier plans are now causing headaches as well.

"In the 40 years, one or two things have been noticed that are not ideal," says TCE Chairman Daniel Classen.

For example, there is only little space to store groceries and not all routes have been thought through.

The question that still had to be clarified was whether the clubhouse should only be renovated or built from scratch.

At the annual meeting, the members voted in favor of the new building with a majority of 78 percent.

According to Classen, there are many arguments for this.

On the one hand, fundamental problems – such as food storage and routing – can only be fundamentally solved with a new building.

On the other hand, the refurbishment would only postpone another major measure about 20 years into the future.

"But then the renovation of the tennis hall is also due," says the TCE chairman.

"Both at the same time is too difficult for volunteers."

And then there's the cost.

"It's still too early for an exact financial plan," emphasizes Classen.

But the first preliminary calculations ended up at around 700,000 euros for renovation and around one million euros for a new building.

The 300,000 euros less for a renovation would not outweigh the advantages of the new building.

The club members obviously saw it that way too.

Especially since the TCE chairman is convinced that the association can handle the project – with its own capital and a loan.

"Basically, we calculated that we could get by with it," says Classen.

Any grants from the Bavarian State Sports Association (BLSV), for example, would be an additional buffer that we would of course like to use.

On the other hand, the municipality does not want to ask about grants, explains Classen.

"But maybe because of a guarantee for the loan."

What you also want to do without is raising the membership fees or a special allocation for the construction of the clubhouse.

If it becomes apparent during the planning that the money is not enough, the TCE chairman believes that one must plan smaller if necessary.

In any case, Classen says: "We don't want to get much bigger."

The first thing to do now is to push the project forward and draw up the development plan.

Discussions are already underway with the town hall administration.

The issue will then be discussed in the council.

The association is also in discussion with the neighbors from the nearby residential area.

Because, as Classen promises: “We want to build in such a way that there is no noise pollution for the residents, even at peak times and during events.

We want to do this together with the community and neighbors.” The residents have already been written to about this.

And when the financial and construction plans are in place, the members of the association can vote on them again.