The debates regarding the Danube Bay at the Urfahraner fairgrounds do not stop: The ÖVP, which following a special meeting of the party executive today clearly speaks out in favor of it, has sparked it once more.
“The attractiveness of the banks of the Danube must finally be implemented,” says Martin Hajart, who demands that the city senate members “finally be presented with the final and concrete costs and plans”. He is also committed to starting the greening measures as soon as possible.
If the deputy mayor has his way, the city should also lease parts of the bank area, i.e. the Lende, from the viadonau in order to obtain “greater creative freedom”. Hajart is thinking here, for example, of the berth of the saloon ship Fräulein Florentine, which would thus be secured for the future – because it might be leased to her once more at a reasonable price.
“Cheap Populism”
As has been reported several times, the sticking point with the bay, for which there was actually a political consensus before, has become the cost. These might now be around nine million euros, and an internal examination by the magistrate is in progress. In contrast to the greening, the implementation of the bay is now on the brink. The FPÖ is firmly once morest the bay, and the SP also has a negative attitude. Only the Greens want to continue to implement the entire project.
Planning City Councilor Dietmar Prammer describes the VP demands and the yes to the bay as “cheap populism with expensive consequences”. The SP politician is also upset regarding the move to lease part of the viadonau shore area. Hajart needed confidential talks with the public here and thus shaken the relationship of trust between this important partner and did the matter a disservice.
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“We remain committed to making the Danube region more attractive and securing it as a rest and recreation area. However, the measures must remain within budgetary limits,” says Prammer. The bay will cost significantly more than the originally estimated three million euros, which is not sustainable from a current perspective. The financing of the indoor swimming pool in Ebelsberg has priority for the SPÖ.
known positions
The FPÖ also gives the said indoor pool more priority, it considers the water bay to be a castle in the air and has repeatedly called for its implementation to be overturned. “After a long time of planning and horrendous increases in costs, the city government should agree on an easily feasible and therefore affordable redesign of the market area. For me, this includes partially greening the unsightly concrete desert. I also want to promote a year-round revitalization of the fairground area, for example with a Christmas village including an ice rink in winter”, says City Security Councilor Michael Raml (FP) today.
The Greens see it very differently. “It is high time to unseal this area in the heart of Linz and give it back to the people. In addition, thanks to the municipal investment program, there is now the unique opportunity to apply for up to 50 percent of the financing costs from the federal government. Not to seize this opportunity and let the water bay go under would be an irreparable omission,” says City Councilor Eva Schobesberger on the overall project.
The cost discussion has recently gained a new component due to the considerations of the architecture collective GUT, which is responsible for the plans for the redesign. As reported, the architects are now considering a sponsor to end the cost debate.
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