Important educational projects in Vegesack: renovation and new construction start!

Important educational projects in Vegesack: renovation and new construction start!

There is currently a lot of work being done on education in Bremen. People on Ludwig-Jahn-Straße are happy about the renovated gym, while the Fährer Flur children and family center has already been successfully completed. But the real focus is on a newly planned school building: a brand new elementary school is to be built on the former sports field. However, for Kerstin Kreitz, managing director of Bildungsbau Bremen GmbH and Co. KG (BiBau), the situation is “dramatic” because without financial resources the project is in jeopardy. BiBau, a private sector organization whose shares are 100 percent owned by the city of Bremen, is now planning to acquire the property for the elementary school. As das-bhv.de reports, it is not possible to continue the project without BiBau, as the city is struggling with a significant renovation backlog of around one billion euros.

The advisory board voted unanimously to sell the property to BiBau, which is said to be a step in the right direction. Rainer Berlips from Immobilien Bremen (IB) emphasizes that financing via a so-called “financial construct” will enable loans in the future, which obviously have to be taken into account as part of the debt brake. Concerns are expressed by Ingo Schiphorst, who sees BiBau as a potential risk for privatization and notes that the originally intended relief through the new building could not be achieved if no actual improvements in speed and cost control are achieved.

A big step for school construction

The Bremen Senate has already taken steps to establish a pilot company for educational construction in order to meet the growing need for schools and daycare centers. According to bremennews.de, it was decided on October 22, 2024 to found such a company, which now has equity of 300 million euros. This shows that the Senate has recognized how important further investments in education are for the city.

Education Senator Sascha Aulepp (SPD) emphasizes the need for reliable care for all children in Bremen and firmly supports the initiative. By establishing a working group that will produce results starting in the spring, the course for future projects should be set quickly. The pilot company will not only take over the new building, but will also be responsible for the maintenance and management of all buildings, which could raise the entire school building in Bremen to a new level.

The next steps

The pilot company has already focused on six urgent construction projects, including the replacement building for the Fährer Flur elementary school in Vegesack. With the goal of completing the first construction work by 2026, the city hopes to give the strained education market a breath of fresh air. Financing strategies are also being adjusted; According to butenunbinnen.de, private investors and the capital market should be used to renovate the schools.

The legend of a complicated bureaucratic network could soon be replaced by a new reality in which quick decisions and less coordination times dominate the picture. This would mean that both the necessary renovation projects and the construction of new schools and daycare centers could be implemented much more quickly.

The coming months will show whether the new approaches actually bear fruit and whether the challenges of Bremen's education system can be overcome. One thing is certain: if the right investments are made here, the future of Bremen's children will look completely different than the past.