Urban development: Minister hands over funding decisions at the town hall
When the federal and state governments, local authorities and the housing industry pull together, it must be something big.
On Wednesday, 11 January 2023, Brandenburg's Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Planning Guido Beermann (CDU) visited Eberswalde Town Hall. He brought with him funding decisions from the "pot" of urban development funding totalling around 1.6 million euros as well as an ILB decision of around 37.4 million euros for Wohnungsgenossenschaft Eberswalde 1893 eG. The latter will be used to finance the renovation of housing in the "Oderbruch Action Area" in the Brandenburg Quarter. started in 2022, this project should be completed by the end of 2023. The cooperation agreement between the city, 1893 eG and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning envisages the creation of 174 social housing units, 110 of which will be in the Brandenburg neighbourhood. Volker Klich, one of the chairmen of 1893 eG, gratefully accepted the notification.
Urban development funding is a federal and state funding programme that serves, among other things, to strengthen city centres, but also to prevent the vacancy of flats and the sustainable development of brownfield sites. The approximately 1.6 million euros handed over by Minister Beermann, together with the city's share, amount to a total investment volume of around 2.4 million euros, which will be realised in Eberswalde. In concrete terms, this includes, for example, the completion of the new after-school centre in Kyritzer Straße, the road improvements in Fritz-Weineck-Straße and Kantstraße and the renovation of the administrative centre (historic baroque building). As a rule, the federal government, the state and the city each provide one third of the total funding. Minister Beermann handed over the corresponding funding decisions to the First Deputy Mayor and Head of Building Anne Fellner.
"Receiving a funding decision is of course an ideal start to the new year 2023, in which we have a lot planned again. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning has been a reliable and consistent partner for many years, continuously supporting our urban development process. The funding from the federal and state governments is also an important economic stimulus for the entire region, in addition to the one-third we have contributed as a city," says First Councillor Anne Fellner.
During the meeting, Minister Beermann also signed the town's guest book. Since 1991, Eberswalde has received a total of more than 240 million euros in funding from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning. The town of Eberswalde also has further ideas and projects in development for the future. For example, it is already working on a new overall project in the area surrounding the railway station in Westend. A potential analysis has been carried out for this purpose. Initial talks with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning on the further urban development process are due to take place soon.