Sport free at Kepler-Gymnasium: Construction of a two-court sports hall and renovation of the Jahnbaude completed
Grand opening as part of the programme for the 100th anniversary of the secondary school on Humboldthöhe - 4.6 million euros were invested in the construction project
Mayor Barbara Ludwig today announced the opening of the leisure and sports facilities at the Johannes Kepler Gymnasium on the Sonnenberg for 12 April. This includes the construction of a new two-court sports hall and the renovation of the sports hall known as the Jahnbaude, as well as the construction of the artificial turf pitch. The opening ceremony will take place as part of the programme for the 100th anniversary of the school on Humboldthöhe, where the Johannes Kepler Gymnasium has been located since 2008.
Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig: "The new sports facilities create the best conditions for sports lessons for the pupils of Johannes Kepler Grammar School - an additional reason to celebrate the school's 100th birthday. But club and competitive sport in the city can also rejoice. State-of-the-art sports facilities enable excellent training conditions and competitions at the highest level. Last but not least, the extensive refurbishment of the Jahnbaude has succeeded in preserving an important piece of architectural art in the city.
The construction of a new two-court sports hall is in line with the city of Chemnitz's 2020 sports development plan. The hall is built to the latest standards and can therefore be used for all purposes - including as a competition venue. Sports such as badminton, basketball, football, handball and volleyball can be played in the barrier-free building. The hall has a total capacity of 152 spectator seats.
Built in 1929, the Jahnbaude is a listed building and underwent a thorough renovation for the first time. It previously had to be closed for sporting activities due to its structural condition. Following the refurbishment, the building now houses a gymnastics room and the main functional rooms of the sports complex. The latter allow both areas of the two-court sports hall to be used simultaneously.
In addition, the artificial turf pitch and surrounding open spaces have been refurbished. The existing long jump and shot put facilities were also renovated in the grass pitch area.
The construction measures also include new access roads, car parks, benches and bicycle stands.
The construction work was scheduled to begin in 2010. The originally announced completion date of August 2012 could not be met due to a lack of funding. Construction work did not actually begin until the beginning of 2012. In 2013, delays were caused by the long frost period and the theft of building materials.
The costs of the entire construction project totalled approx. 4.6 million euros. Around 2.8 million euros of this was covered by subsidies, while the city of Chemnitz contributed 1.8 million euros of its own funds.