The city of Nuremberg has granted approval for the planned development on the former cycling track in the Reichelsdorf district. The city is thus paving the way for “future-oriented neighborhood development,” says project developer immosens GmbH. The felling of the first trees in the area began on Thursday morning, confirmed Dorith Müller from the Reichelsdorfer Keller Citizens’ and Historical Association, “unfortunately the first pine trees have fallen.”
Of course, a building permit was not published in the official gazette and residents were not informed about the step, Müller criticized. The partial demolition of the historic racetrack, which was already imminent at the time, was named “Demolition of the Year 2022” by the State Association for Local Heritage.
Nuremberg’s building officer Daniel Ulrich confirms the building permit has been granted. This has actually not yet been published in the official gazette. Such things always appear there “after formal delivery to the respective provider of the measure”. The procedure is therefore common and the criticism is therefore difficult to understand.
Legally, the upcoming partial demolition is in focus from various aspects. In terms of monument law, opponents of the partial demolition, here the “Bavarian Monument Network”, have already taken action against the city’s plan. The Ansbach Administrative Court granted an initial urgent application to postpone the demolition work on the railway, and the city then temporarily stopped the demolition work. A court decision on the main matter is expected soon.
It was expected that opponents of the partial demolition would also take action against the city under nature conservation law. On Thursday, the Ansbach Administrative Court confirmed receipt of a corresponding urgent application. If the application is successful, the tree felling work that has now started would have to be stopped again, at least temporarily. As soon as the actual building permit is published in the official gazette, legal action could be taken against it. In the end, a regulatory action would still be conceivable.
According to information from immosens GmbH, “all nature and species protection requirements for the project were met” before the felling work began. A district for around 250 apartments is being planned. “Singles, families and seniors” should therefore find a “green and livable home”. In addition, a daycare center with 99 places will be built. The “legacy of the cycle track” is also “honoured through architecturally attractive memorial sites”.
According to monument preservationists, the track was for a long time “the oldest 400m concrete racetrack still preserved in Germany and all of Europe” with a curve height of six meters. The first stayer races took place there as early as 1905. It was one of the most popular slopes in Germany, with up to 15,000 spectators attending the races. The last one took place in 2017. The railway is considered to be of great industrial and sporting historical importance for the former cycling stronghold of Nuremberg.