Historic Town Hall Surroundings in Rheydt Have Been Depleted
Talkin' 'Bout Rheydt's New Town Hall
winds down, Pastor Stephan Dedring takes charge, hosting the gathering in the Ernst-Christoffel-House of the Protestant Church of Rheydt. The scene is set for a dialogue about the city's future – specifically, the remodeling of administrative units packed into the sprawling project on Nordpark.
Mayor Felix Heinrichs kicks things off with a peek into the project's evolution, discussing the transient housing of administrative units. He assures the crowd that the city maintains a physical presence in Rheydt center throughout construction, with vital departments like technical teams and social services relocated to strategic spots like the former Karstadt building and Wilhelm-Strauß-Straße. The registration office, meanwhile, has moved to a more accessible location on Stresemannstraße, right next to its old branch at the Gladbacher Bank.
Claudia Schwan-Schmitz, Technical Deputy Mayor, addresses urban development efforts, aiming to seamlessly integrate the large-scale project into Rheydt's overall city plan. City Treasurer Michael Heck follows suit, highlighting the financial implications of the 120 million euro project despite the city's tight financial situation. He hints at further financial demands, possibly for the modernization of the former Karstadt building, in the years to come.
Alexander Vogel, the mastermind behind the project, shares insights about the upcoming building part A of the new town hall. This vast building spans the entire block between the market square, Stresemannstraße, Limitenstraße, and the alley "Am Neumarkt," save for a corner area shared by Limiten-/Stresemannstraße. The iconic town hall and the former royal Prussian district command will remain untouched on the market side. However, the former district court will make way for a sleek, glass structure – serving as the future main entrance to the citizen's hall. Vogel teases that the demolition of the last piece of the puzzle, the former district court, is imminent, paving the way for the start of demolition work.
Demolition work on the corner buildings is slated to commence in August, allowing for the demolition of the remainder of the structures by year's end. In tandem, foundational work for the new building will begin. Post-2026, construction on the shell structure is planned to proceed for at least a year, minimizing disturbances on the market square. Logistics areas for construction materials will pop up on various building facades, and the Kanaltorstrasse area – site of the plane trees on Limitenstraße – might serve as one such zone. Vogel is firm that the market activity and Rheydter Kirmes will continue undeterred, touting minimal vibration levels during demolition to safeguard neighboring structures – including the Rheydter main church, which Vogel guarantees will remain undamaged.
Discussing the future development of Rheydt, Mayor Felix Heinrichs briefly mentioned the potential revamp of home-improvement areas, such as the Ernst-Christoffel-House of the Protestant Church, to accommodate community gatherings and dialogues. In the midst of home-and-garden projects like the remodeling of the town hall complex, Main Deputy Mayor Claudia Schwan-Schmitz emphasizes the importance of integrating these projects into the overall lifestyle vision for Rheydt.
