Lessingplatz play and leisure centre: First construction phase for the refurbishment of the facility completed - invitation to the handover
Just in time for the start of the summer school holidays, the extensive work on the first construction phase "Spieloval" to renovate and redesign the popular and much-used Lessingplatz play and leisure facility can now be completed. The completed first part of the beautiful facility in Chemnitz's Sonnenberg district will be handed over to children and young people after a six-week construction period (as planned) by the city's Parks Department.
Representatives of the media are cordially invited to a photo session on site at Lessingplatz on Friday, 18 July at 10 am.
In the first construction phase of the project, two new pieces of play equipment - a double swing and a combination of play equipment - were purchased by the city for the Lessingplatz play and leisure centre and installed by the contracted specialists. In addition, the fall protection area was created with a new border of large paving stones and the facility was also upgraded in terms of design with a newly built seating wall and developed into a seating area that children and young people will enjoy using in the future.
The costs for the first construction phase totalled 33,400 euros. The Chemnitz-based company Gert Findeklee from the Röhrsdorf district was commissioned with the realisation of the work in the first construction phase.
The already planned second construction phase for further work on the Lessingplatz play and leisure facility will begin on 1 August 2014 and includes the following work: In the so-called east-west axis, all play equipment in need of refurbishment will be removed and replaced with new equipment; a play equipment combination sand construction site and a balancing beam are planned. In addition, all wooden edgings and the fall protection gravel will be replaced.
In total, the city has earmarked funds totalling 44,500 euros in the budget for the realisation of the second construction phase of the Lessingplatz project. The Chemnitz-based company Tiefbau Böhm GmbH & Co KG has been commissioned with the work in the second construction phase.
Background: The first construction phase of the work on the Lessingplatz play and leisure facility, which was realised in two construction phases, was preceded in spring 2014 by the necessary dismantling of the facility, which was opened 20 years ago and is now heavily worn and had to be closed in March 2014 for safety reasons. The reason for this was that the wooden structure of the play combination, which was also two decades old, and the double swing were showing considerable defects after all this time. The posts and beams were so badly affected by rot that the experts doubted the stability of the facility. The sand construction site built in 2001 and the balancing beam and the edging of the fall protection were also rotten, so the decision was made by the parks department responsible for the facility to dismantle the equipment.
Many citizens had campaigned for the prompt reopening of the play and leisure facility, for example at local meetings with representatives of the city and during the mayor's consultation hours. Mayor Barbara Ludwig took up this popular request and strongly supported the prompt re-planning of the facility, the purchase of new play equipment and the reopening of at least a significant part of the play and leisure centre in 2014.
With the extensive measures now being realised promptly in two construction phases and the considerable investment provided for this, the City of Chemnitz is emphatically responding to the wishes expressed by many citizens to preserve this play and leisure facility in the Sonnenberg district in the long term. At the same time, the city decided to prioritise the implementation of the measure and to carry out the extensive work to redesign, renovate and repair the facility before the end of 2014. This means that a large part of the much-used play and leisure facility on the Sonnenberg can now be used again during the 2014 summer holidays.