Shortly after two on Friday afternoon: a few men are sitting under the chestnut trees on the Giesinger Grünspitz. Next to it, about 20 people are standing around a white tent. It was set up by the building department to present the new plans for the public square. At first glance, not much will change as a result of the redesign. Some are relieved, others appalled.
“What’s new there now?” asks a helpless citizen. Another finds: “Nothing changes there.” One might think that landscape architect Felix Lüdicke is now offended. Instead he is happy. That’s the feedback I was hoping for. “It shouldn’t all be totally new,” he explains. However, a few things are changing. The plateau will be enlarged by around 400 square meters towards the Tegernseer Landstraße and the tip in the south. A new staircase, barrier-free access, a small wall and a hedge are planned to shield the site from Martin-Luther-Strasse. The place will lose some of its “alternative charm” – as one Giesinger calls it – by replacing the seating. If the area is transferred to the building department, it is also responsible for maintenance. That’s why you need “proper furniture” – above all, it has to be “vandalism-proof,” explains Eva Prasch from the Horticultural Office. According to her, the district committee (BA) will receive a draft resolution for the conversion this year.
An hour later. Parents push prams over the gravel. Young people sit in deck chairs. Between them stands a man with sunglasses, his face turned to the sun. He has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years. Not far from the Grünspitz, which he has taken to his heart: “This is a nice, alternative place to meet.” He likes the ideas of the landscape architects. Green City’s Christina Pirner agrees.
In 2014, as part of the redevelopment of the district, the club started using the triangular area. A community project for the neighborhood has been developed. With the end of the urban development funding, the financing was always critical. It is now secured until the end of 2022, but whether Green City will step in again until the building department realizes its plans is an open question. One thing is clear, at least from Priner’s point of view: “The identification with the place is great.” This was shown last year when 4781 people supported the #jazumgrünspitz petition.
The kiosk is a thorn in the side of some neighbors
One who has definitely not signed is Robert Motschenbach. The project annoys him because of the volume: “What we definitely don’t want are nocturnal celebrations.” Especially on game days in the Grünwalder Stadium, the Grünspitz is “a party mile”. That’s how many local residents see it. A few want a ban on alcohol. A woman who lives across the street on one of the upper floors had hoped for a noise barrier. Nothing like this is currently planned. “The structural effort to really achieve noise protection would completely change the character of the area,” says Andreas Herrmann from the building department.
The kiosk, which has been around since 2019, is also a thorn in the side of some. The public green space will end a few meters before that. The kiosk and toilet truck are located in an area managed by the municipal department. You can stay for now. However, there is a development plan for the northern part of the area. “The kiosk can stay as long as the development doesn’t come,” says Prasch.
While the neighbors see the store as a disruptive factor, the Green City representative finds the booth “super important” because the operators and employees “keep an eye on everything” in addition to the club. Who will take over in the future is one of the big question marks. “Only structural redesign hasn’t solved anything,” says Pirner. Carmen Dullinger-Oßwald (Greens), Chairwoman of the BA, sees it that way: “Such a place doesn’t just work. There has to be someone there.” That is why the committee recently called for “socio-educational support”. What that could look like is now up to the social department.