It must have been a glimmer of hope for some people in Perlach when construction work on the Böglwiese was stopped a few weeks ago. Finally, the city’s plans to build an interim school in containers on part of the green space there have caused a lot of regret, anger and loud protests in the neighborhood. Simply stopping at the construction site does not mean that the town hall is reconsidering its plans.
Rather, the work was interrupted due to a petition that residents submitted to the state parliament, says the Department for Education and Sport. Now that the city has issued a statement, the excavators are now set to roll again on the Böglwiese. Means: Despite all the protests, the town hall is still planning to use this location as an alternative location for the elementary school on Theodor-Heuss-Platz.
There, in the Neuperlach residential area, the existing school center will be demolished and rebuilt. Just a few days ago, the city council approved the associated development plan, according to which a primary school and a special education center with sports facilities are to be built on the site. The second will be moved in containers on the Neuperlach School site at Strehleranger during the construction period.
Meanwhile, a three-story alternative quarter is to be built for the elementary school on Böglwiese, on an area measuring 60 by 50 meters. The education department says it is planned to move into the interim building for the 2024/25 school year. “However, the timeline has now become tighter due to the interruption.”
There is resistance to the interim development of the green space.
(Photo: Robert Haas)
The Böglwiese is used as a sports field, relaxation area and meeting point.
(Photo: Stephan Rumpf)
As soon as the plans for the Böglwiese became known, protests arose in Perlach. An online petition initiated by Bernhard Helm, which rejects development of the leisure area, was signed by 3,800 people. Accordingly, there is a risk of destruction of “the last large green area in the center of Perlach,” which serves the people there “as a sports field, soccer field, recreational area and meeting place.” In addition, the citizens’ initiative (BI), which has since been founded, fears that the five-year interim school is only the first step towards permanent development on the Böglwiese – which the city, of course, rejects. With regard to the many alternative locations proposed by the BI, she emphasizes that these “were carefully examined, but are not an option for various reasons.”
That’s exactly what critics like local resident Bernhard Helm doubt, who emphasizes: “There is no evidence of a real test.” In fact, the city never considered moving from the Böglwiese location, says Helm. In mid-September, members of the BI submitted a petition aimed at preserving the green space. It is still uncertain when the state parliament will deal with this.
However, Bernhard Helm does not believe that the construction of the interim school can be stopped in this way. “I suspect that the petition will focus on what will happen in five years. So that the Böglwiese will then become a green space again.”