Tourism - Ribnitz-Damgarten expects building rights for Amber Resort
The city of Ribnitz-Damgarten plans to have a legally binding building plan in place for Center Parcs' planned million-project Bernstein-Resort by the end of 2025. "That's a sporting goal, but achievable," said the responsible building permit officer Heiko Körner to the German Press Agency. Originally, the city had planned to have the building permit in place this year. But the procedure is taking longer than expected.
After the involvement of citizens and representatives of public interests, the comments will now be worked in accordingly. By the end of the year, according to Körner, a master plan should be completed, on which the draft building plan will be based. It is a very large and very complex project, where nature conservation requirements must also be taken into account.
This also affects the removal of contaminants and munitions on the site that has been militarily used since 1935. "The work is currently on hold due to the vegetation phase," said Körner. The measures can be carried out from October to February. This is planned for the winter of 2022/23 and 2023/24. "We hope now that by February 2025, all the munition will be out." Munitions remnants were mainly found from the time of the Second World War, after which the Red Army used the area.
Concretely, it concerns a 250 hectare area on the Pütnitz peninsula and total investments of around 350 million Euro. The city of Ribnitz-Damgarten is the owner of the land. The main investor is the leisure park operator Center Parcs. In addition, Supreme GmbH (Rostock) plans to create a sports and experience world ("Pangea Island"). The Bernsteinriders plan to build another riding hall, and the existing technical museum is part of the concept.
Center Parcs had originally planned an opening in 2026. But that was too optimistic. 2027 is also unlikely, according to Körner. "But 2028." If it takes longer, it could become difficult. It has already been signaled that another location will be sought if the project further delays.
Unlike the city and the state, the "No Mass Tourism on Pütnitz" citizen initiative is very critical. They are trying to prevent the project and warn of traffic chaos, low-wage jobs, tax waste, and plundering of nature. "With the so-called Maritim-Touristic Business Area on Pütnitz, there is a threat of collapse for the traffic situation in the entire region," reads a concern of the initiative. The city rejects this representation.
Citizen initiative "No Mass Tourism on Pütnitz" Information on the accusations against Center Parcs from the City of Ribnitz-Damgarten
The billion-euro tourism project in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, specifically the Bernstein-Resort in Ribnitz-Damgarten, is being overseen by the city's building permit officer Heiko Körner. The German Press Agency reported that the city aims to finalize a legally binding building plan for this Center Parcs project by the end of 2025.
Despite initial plans to have the building permit in place this year, the complex project involves nature conservation requirements and the removal of contaminants from a militarily used site, which is causing delays. This work is currently on hold during the vegetation phase, with plans to resume in the winters of 2022/23 and 2023/24, with the hope of removing all munitions by February 2025.
