City council adopts action plan for the sports forum

This afternoon, the city council approved the action plan for the sports forum. It describes four central projects within the sports forum in order to secure it as a modern training and competition centre for competitive sport. Specifically, it envisages the construction of a new gymnastics hall, the renovation of the cycling track, the reconstruction of the main stadium and the Haus des Sports as an Olympic training centre.

The sports facilities in the "Sportforum Chemnitz" are to a large extent top-class sports facilities with the status of a federal and state training centre. For this reason, it has long been the aim of the city to involve the federal and state governments in the investment activities in these sports facilities to a considerable extent. This corresponds to the responsibility and division of responsibility between the owner and user of the facilities.

In order to channel this joint substantive and financial responsibility into specific investment projects, the city administration is presenting this concept as a basis and commitment to competitive sport in Chemnitz. The concept also incorporates the request made by the city council in May 2013, which called for a viable concept for securing and modernising the "Sportforum Chemnitz" complex.

With the resolution, the administration was tasked with applying for the relevant funding, planning budget resources and planning and implementing the measures. The implementation of the concept is subject to the annual budget resolutions by the city council and their approval by the state directorate as well as the prospect of funding from the federal and/or state governments.

The action plan was developed in co-operation between the City of Chemnitz, the Chemnitz City Sports Association and the Chemnitz/Dresden Olympic Training Centre and is based on the following premises:

The status of "federal and state bases", in particular that of the Chemnitz/Dresden Olympic Training Centre e. V. The aim is to secure and expand the status of the "federal and state bases", in particular the Chemnitz/Dresden Olympic Training Centre, and to create further regional and supra-regional bases for competitive sport. The main focus is also on promoting talent and working with young athletes. At the same time, appropriate teaching, training and competition conditions are to be created. The focus will be on competitive sport without neglecting popular sport.

The basic aim is to maintain, restore and expand the suitability of the sports facilities for competitions.

The four investment priorities outlined in the concept have a total cost volume of around 23 million euros, including one measure with 300,000 euros in the 2014 budget. The twelve registered maintenance measures have a total cost volume of around 3.7 million euros, including six measures with around 2.7 million euros in the 2014 budget or included in the medium-term financial planning.

The sports facilities of the sports forum will also be made available for school sports and professional sports at the sports high school and the sports secondary school and will therefore be available for the fulfilment of the compulsory task of school sports. Around 21 million euros have been invested in the school sports centre in recent years.

In recent years, the focus has been on renovating, expanding and building new sports facilities for school and club sports. Since 2009, the conditions for school and popular sports have been significantly improved in 32 sports facilities. A total of more than 28 million euros has been invested. In addition, a football stadium suitable for the Bundesliga will be built by next year. The attempt to obtain funding for the €25 million renovation of the 80-year-old football stadium failed, as the Free State does not support professional sports projects.