Sports planning in Essen is being stepped up. This also pleases RWE, as the stadium is to be expanded. The Greens are also moving forward, but not everything is in the bag yet.
This week, third-division soccer club Rot-Weiss Essen is not only looking to Saarbrücken, where coach Christoph Dabrowski’s team will take the next step in the promotion battle against 1. FC Saarbrücken on Wednesday (7 p.m.).
The next meeting of the Essen council will also take place on Wednesday. Here, among other things, the start of planning for the expansion of the stadium on Hafenstrasse is to be decided.
There have recently been doubts as to whether the Greens will agree to the project. The first step involves the release of planning funds – reportedly amounting to 1.2 million euros.
However, Wednesday is not just about the expansion of the stadium on Hafenstrasse; the Essen City Council will be taking a closer look at sport in the city. An initiative is to be launched for top-class sport and popular sport
In addition to professional sport, we are keeping an eye on the entire sports landscape of our city. This applies to club-based sports and school sports as well as to independent sports and leisure activities
Fabian Schrumpf
In a press release, Fabian Schrumpf MdL, parliamentary group leader of the CDU council parliamentary group, explains: “The expansion of the stadium corners is now being planned in concrete terms. The increase in spectator capacity to over 20,000 seats will make it possible to host national and international soccer matches or be a venue for concerts and cultural events. Expansion and modernization can also strengthen Essen as a business location. In addition to professional sport, we keep an eye on the entire sports landscape of our city. This applies to club-based sports and school sports as well as independent sports and leisure activities. We will accelerate the refurbishment and upgrading of existing gyms and sports facilities. We want every child to be able to swim when they move on to secondary school. To this end, we are commissioning the planning of additional teaching pools. We want to turn the Schillerwiese into an exemplary facility for popular and recreational sports independent of clubs.”
The CDU and Greens now appear to be stepping on the gas pedal when it comes to sport. Sandra Schumacher, co-chair of the Greens’ parliamentary group in the council, reports: “We combine the promotion of school, popular and elite sport with financial seriousness and responsibility for future generations. We therefore make it clear that the expansion of schools and nurseries and their renovation must not be jeopardized. We will ensure that fewer school sports are canceled in the future and that clubs have more training time.”
So the plan is to make a big splash. The Essen stadium could be rebuilt, the Schillerwiese at Stadtwaldplatz is to become a showcase site for popular sports, the gymnasiums and sports halls are to be renovated and the ice rink is to be brought up to modern standards.
It will be interesting to see what can be implemented in the end – especially at what speed. And, of course, from the point of view of the Greens: how energy-efficient can it all be done?
Stephan Neumann, co-chairman of the Greens’ parliamentary group in the council, demands: “We can only achieve the climate targets if sports facilities are transformed from energy guzzlers into energy producers. That is why PV systems on the stadium corners are just as much a part of the planning as a traffic concept that relies on buses and trains, walking and cycling. The signals now available from RWE to move on the lease payments make a “yes” to the planning possible. The Council will only take a decision on construction once the planning has been completed and a more reliable cost calculation is available. “