City administration applies for additional commitment authorisation for town hall renovation

The city administration of Bocholt is applying for a so-called over-scheduled commitment appropriation totalling 8.5 million euros for the renovation of the town hall and cultural centre on Berliner Platz. The two corresponding documents were sent to the members of the city council today, Friday 24 April 2026, via the council information system.

The aim of the measure is to secure the project's ability to act in the face of general price increases and more detailed cost planning.

In view of the upcoming meeting of the city council on 29 April, the administration of the city of Bocholt has initiated an adjustment to the financial framework for the comprehensive renovation of the town hall and cultural centre on Berliner Platz. The increase of 8.5 million euros is necessary to take into account both the general cost increases in the construction industry and the results of an in-depth planning and cost analysis in the current project progress. According to the 2023 planning status, the city had assumed a cost volume of around 84 million euros, which will not be sufficient according to the current status. With the requested additional commitment authorisation, the city is creating the necessary budgetary basis to be able to continue to obtain and commission the necessary tenders for the construction work, which will only be carried out and paid for in the future, on time and in accordance with procurement law. Despite this adjustment, the city is still vigorously pursuing the goal of keeping the total costs for the refurbishment project below the 100 million euro mark.

"The primary purpose of the proposed adjustment is to ensure the smooth progress of the work and to be able to react to the dynamics of the construction market", explains City Planning Officer Dave Welling, "the information of politicians and the provision of funds by the city council are intended to ensure that there are no delays in the construction process."

Construction progress on Berliner Platz and the building itself is currently clearly visible in many places. Geothermal drilling and the associated civil engineering and paving work are currently underway at Berliner Platz. To speed up the work, a second drilling rig has been in use since this week. If the work proceeds according to plan, the city administration expects Berliner Platz to be partially opened to traffic in the 19th calendar week, with the exact date being finalised at the end of April. At the same time, the shell construction work on the backstage as well as bricklaying and shell construction work in the basement levels are in full swing. The construction road in the Aa has already been completed and forms the basis for the scaffolding on the Aa side. The erection of the façade scaffolding for the town hall and the theatre is visibly advanced. The metal cladding of the theatre has already been dismantled, the old roof structure of the theatre removed and a temporary seal applied. In addition, the roof gravel on the town hall and the stage tower has been removed.

The necessary openings and core drillings are currently being made for the future building services. Numerous trades are also about to start work or are in the commissioning phase. These include the steel construction for the council chamber extension and the additional storey, the lift systems and the heating, plumbing and stage machinery trades. stage machinery

Tenders have already been submitted for other major trades such as the electrical work, the ventilation technology and the glass façade, which are to be commissioned shortly. At the same time, the city council has published further invitations to tender, for example for dry construction, tiling and screed work. Further tenders for the interior fittings, such as interior doors, flooring work and stage technology, are currently being prepared.