Total costs of 992,800 euros have been budgeted for the planning phase of the new building and the redesign of the outdoor facilities. In addition, further funds have been earmarked to ensure school transportation during the construction period. During this time, lessons will take place at the alternative location in Westhagen so that regular sports lessons can continue without interruption. The final planning decision will be made by Wolfsburg City Council on December 18.

Background to the construction work

We started the refurbishment work on the sports hall in 2019 after the city council decided to carry out a comprehensive general refurbishment in 2020. Our aim was to organize the work in such a way that at least one of the two halls could continue to be used for school sports. However, during the ongoing demolition work, serious defects came to light in the social wing of the building: insufficiently compacted foundations and unstable supporting structures make renovation impossible.

"The structural defects identified during the renovation work mean that the planned renovation is not possible," explains First City Councillor and Head of Building Kai-Uwe Hirschheide. "The load-bearing structures and foundations in particular have such serious defects that it is no longer possible to use the building safely. A new building is now the most sensible and sustainable solution to make the hall future-proof and barrier-free."

The new social wing will meet current standards and take the needs of the school and clubs into account in the best possible way. We will also redesign the interior and parts of the adjoining outdoor area to be barrier-free in order to facilitate access for all user groups. The two gymnasiums are still being renovated.

Ensuring the provision of sports lessons

Since the beginning of 2024, the gymnastics hall at the Bunte Grundschule has no longer been usable for safety reasons, as the ongoing demolition work poses a risk to pupils. To ensure that PE lessons can continue, we have been transporting the children to the alternative location in Westhagen by bus since February of this year. This temporary solution will remain in place during the construction and renovation work and the necessary transportation costs have been taken into account in the planning decision.

"Our aim is to make the sports hall fully usable again as quickly as possible, as it is an important location for the school and sports clubs," emphasizes sports department head Andreas Bauer. "With the planned construction of the new social wing, we are creating a modern, safe infrastructure that meets the requirements of school and club sports."