Reason to celebrate at two major construction projects in Chemnitz: Topping-out ceremony for the new building of the school for the physically disabled and laying of the foundation stone for the two-court sports hall at André-Gymnasium
This afternoon, the topping-out ceremony was celebrated at the new building of the Special Education Centre for the Physically Disabled at the Heinrich Schütz Straße site on Sonnenberg, currently the largest school building construction project in the city of Chemnitz. And there was another good reason to celebrate this afternoon at the construction site for another major building project of the city administration: the foundation stone for a new two-court sports hall was laid at the Dr.-Wilhelm-André-Gymnasium on Kaßberg.
Both events were attended by the Mayor of Chemnitz, Barbara Ludwig, and State Secretary Herbert Wolff from the Saxon Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs.
Mayor Barbara Ludwig: "The city and the Free State are investing a lot of money in school construction and are specifically improving the starting position of young people at the beginning of their lives. The construction of the new school for the physically disabled and the sports hall at André-Gymnasium are long-term investments that will benefit both the local children and young people and the city as a whole. The two cannot be separated from each other. With the special education centre, Chemnitz is also assuming responsibility for the region and creating optimal living and learning conditions for young people with physical and mental disabilities from Chemnitz and the surrounding area."
In addition to the school,the new building for the Special Education Centre - Chemnitz School for the Physically Disabled on the Heinrich-Schütz-Straße site includes a two-court sports hall with outdoor facilities, a residential home, all-day care for children and young people with physical and multiple disabilities as well as therapy rooms with a therapy pool and gymnastics room.
The new building had become necessary because the school building at the old location in Wittgensdorfer Straße was in serious need of renovation. A total of 230 pupils with physical disabilities can look forward to over 250 new barrier-free rooms for learning, playing and living on a total of 13,650 m². The buildings will be completed in stages in spring 2015, while work on the school's outdoor facilities is scheduled for completion in summer 2015.
A total of 32.6 million euros will be invested in the extensive construction project. The Free State is subsidising the construction with a total of 14.8 million euros. The city of Chemnitz itself is investing 17.8 million euros.
The construction project at the Dr. Wilhelm-André-Gymnasium includes the construction of a new two-court sports hall with outdoor facilities and the renovation of the gymnasium in the old building. The new 22 x 44 metre sports hall is to be built on the corner of Henriettenstrasse and Barbarossastrasse. It will be used exclusively for school and club sports. The level of the hall will be lowered three metres below that of the existing site in order to fit the new building into the historic surroundings of the district. The building and facilities will be barrier-free and disabled-friendly.
The outdoor facilities will include break areas and outdoor sports facilities. Parking spaces for bicycles will also be provided. Recreation and exercise areas will be designed for breaks.
The outdoor facilities include a 15 x 28 metre all-weather pitch, a 60 metre short-distance running track, a shot put facility with two lanes, a long jump facility with two lanes as well as goals, basketball stands and volleyball posts.
Construction began in September 2013 and is scheduled for completion in July 2015. The total costs amount to approx. 4.26 million euros, of which 2.87 million euros are being provided by the city of Chemnitz and the remainder by subsidies.