Rostock city council backs new theater building
The Rostock City Parliament has renewed a decision in principle for the new Volkstheater building. After a long debate, the city parliament approved a corresponding motion by Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, the Left Party and the Rostocker Bund with 31 votes in favor. There were twelve votes against and four abstentions.
Mayor Eva-Maria Kröger (Left Party) described the new building as having no alternative in view of the dilapidated state of the current Volkstheater. "This is a building of the century. Of course it's very expensive. But nobody is hiding that here."
The new building for the four-section theater will cost around 208 million euros. Initial plans in 2018 assumed 110 million euros, later calculations 183 million euros. In the motion, the city council "acknowledges the need for a new building for the Volkstheater Rostock and hereby makes the final investment decision on the new theater building".
The FDP had urgently warned against issuing a "blank check" for the new building. The CDU made it clear that a high three-digit million sum was involved, which would of course have consequences for the city budget and the city society.
The new building was oversized and the costs had exploded massively, said CDU member of parliament Daniel Peters. "We are clearly in favor of one size smaller." However, the CDU/UFR parliamentary group failed with its motion for a referendum on the theater. Mayor Kröger emphasized that she was against downsizing. It was not about a "luxury palace", but about a functional building for a four-division theater.
The director of the Volkstheater, Ralph Reichel, expects work on the planned new theater building to start next year. In the past, there have been preliminary consultations with all the offices involved and the building application for the new theater building has been submitted. "I can't imagine that the city would want to do without a cultural beacon," Reichel emphasized before the meeting. Moreover, 12 million euros had already been spent on planning.
The approval by the city council will significantly impact the finances of the municipalities, as the new Volkstheater building is estimated to cost approximately 208 million euros. Despite the high cost, many municipalities see the need for a new theater building, recognizing its importance as a cultural beacon for the city society.
Source: www.dpa.com
