Work Package 9: Rural Development
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WP 9: Rural Development – Mini-Case Study: A Centre for Flöha Mini-Case Study: A Centre for Flöha, Germany Work Package 9: Rural Development Ex post evaluation of Cohesion policy programmes 2000-2006 co-financed by the European Fund for Regional Development (Objective 1 and 2) page 1 WP 9: Rural Development – Mini-Case Study: A Centre for Flöha Core team: Herta Tödtling-Schönhofer (Project Director, metis) Erich Dallhammer (Project Leader, ÖIR) Isabel Naylon (metis) Bernd Schuh (ÖIR) metis GmbH (former ÖIR-Managementdienste GmbH) A-1220 Wien, Donau-City-Straße 6 Tel.: +43 1 997 15 70, Fax: +43 1 997 15 70-66 │ http://www.metis-vienna.eu National expert for Germany: Dr: Sebastian Elbe (SPRINT GbR) D-64283 Darmstadt, Luisenstraße 16 Tel: +49 (0)6151 - 66 77 801, Fax: +49 (0)6151 - 46 00 960 Vienna, May 2009 Commissioned by: European Commission, DG Regional Policy Mini-Case Study: A Centre for Flöha, Germany Work Package 9: Rural Development Ex post evaluation of Cohesion policy programmes 2000-2006 co-financed by the European Fund for Regional Development (Objective 1 and 2) page 3 WP 9: Rural Development – Mini-Case Study: A Centre for Flöha Mini-Case Study: A Centre for Flöha – New life in the former cotton spinning mill ‘Wasserbau’ Synthesis Flöha is a small town (10,300 inhabitants) in the rural district of Middle Saxony (Landkreis Mittelsachsen). Typically for rural areas in Saxony, the Flöha surroundings are characterised by low population density, high unemployment, out-migration especially of young women as well as the increasing thinning of social, cultural and public services. According to the regional development plan of the Regional Planning Authority Chemnitz-Erzgebirge (Regionaler Planungsverband), Flöha is of special importance for the whole rural district, in particular regarding social and cultural infrastructure and as a major service and supply location. Moreover, Flöha has a special supply function for the region in the field of education. Bringing new life to the former cotton spinning mill was a flagship project for Flöha to fulfil the above mentioned supply requirements. The city council of Flöha discovered the potential of the old industrial wasteland as a new city centre and planned to successively rehabilitate the industrial buildings into a new complex for business and trade as well as for social and cultural events. The beginning of this development was the ERDF-co-financed conversion of the former ‘House 4’ of the old cotton mill, the so- called ‘Wasserbau’ building. In the course of the last two centuries, the cotton spinning mill had an important influence on the development of the town. The mill is located in the middle of Flöha and even though it has not been active for years, it still dominates the townscape. 13 buildings were gradually decaying on a 6.5 hectare area. Through the rehabilitation, this important industrial monument could be conserved and given a new use. On the ground floor of the converted building, rooms are provided for regional clubs and associations which were looking for new premises for their activities. On the first floor, the credit department of the district savings bank of Freiberg got their new premises. On the second floor, the city and district library as well as a multipurpose hall for civic, regional as well as national events are located. An important factor in the success of the project was that the tenants were found before the actual start of construction guaranteeing full use of the building. With the conversion of the building, Flöha managed to fulfil different needs of the city as well as of the region. Not only did the project serve to maintain an important monument of the industrial heritage of the city, but it also gave the starting shot for the development of the whole brownfield site. Furthermore by converting part of the building into office space, the district savings bank of Freiberg could be established and until now 100 jobs created/safeguarded. The Wasserbau also provided social and cultural services for the urban and regional population – which is important due to Flöha’s role as district capital. With the rehabilitation of the old spinning mill and in particular with the Wasserbau and its supply functions in the field of economic, social and cultural infrastructure, Flöha has met the needs of the whole rural district. Particularly through the provision of facilities for the city and district library, Flöha fulfils demands and supply needs in the field of education and thereby supports the endogenous development of the region as a rural (development) pole. Background information Country: Germany Region: Saxony Project title: Rehabilitation and conversion of House 4 – ‘Wasserbau’ Programme type: Operational Programme Duration of project: 09.2004 – 05.2006 (month/year) page 3 Funding: total budget € 5 340 000 ERDF contribution € 3 724 000 National funding for urban renewal € 1 047 000 Flöha city contribution € 569 000 Objective: x Objective 1 I. Project description Overall objective and purpose The ERDF co-financed project ‘Wasserbau’ concerns the conversion of part of an old cotton mill in the centre of the city of Flöha in Middle Saxony (Landkreis Mittelsachsen). The Wasserbau is one of altogether 13 buildings on the brownfield site (see figure 1) and covers an area of 1.977,35m² with a gross floor area of 5.932,05 m². The aim of the project was to preserve the old industrial infrastructure whilst giving it a new function as library, clubhouse and branch of the district savings bank of Freiberg. It also houses a cultural centre and office space. The Wasserbau project was part of the wider conversion of the whole brownfield site. The overall objectives of conversion were: • development of a new city centre for Flöha including the above mentioned functions; • preservation and revitalisation of the cultural heritage; • strengthening of the local economy and reducing high unemployment; • environmentally friendly and resource-saving reuse of a brownfield site; • building a connection between neighbourhoods separated through the river Zschopau and the unused brownfield site; • strengthening the urban identity of Flöha. The project was one of several projects funded by the ERDF in Flöha. Most of the projects were focussed on urban development and targeted to rebuild the city area destroyed through the flood in 2002. Figure 1: The location of Wasserbau in the brownfield site of the old cotton mill (Source: Expose Alte Baumwolle) page 4 WP 9: Rural Development – Mini-Case Study: A Centre for Flöha Figure 2: The Wasserbau (before [left] and after [right] the reconstruction) (Source: Expose Alte Baumwolle) Description/type of activities The Wasserbau project was the starting point for the revitalisation of the whole brownfield site called ‘alte Baumwolle’ (literally ‘old cotton’). The conversion of the buildings has started in 2001. In this year, the city of Flöha started to elaborate several utilisation concepts and began to search for new users and investors for the buildings. In 2004, the city of Flöha won the district savings bank of Freiberg as one of the major future tenants. This was the main reason to start the conversion process of the brownfield. To finance the conversion, the city decided to apply for ERDF funding. After funding was granted at the beginning of 2005, the city started with the first construction phase. This first phase included the roof and the foundation of the Wasserbau building. In August 2005, the conversion of the interior started. At the end of 2005, the first floor of the building was finished and the first tenant, the credit department of the district savings bank of Freiberg, could move in. The other floors were finished in the following two months. After finishing the building measures in April 2006, seven clubhouses including the regional rural women’s association, the local association of Flöha, a shooting club and a brass band moved into the ground floor of the building. On the second floor, the new city and district library with a café as well as an event hall which covers an area of 360m² and has a capacity for events up to 370 people moved in. The city of Flöha was responsible for the overall management, conceptual design and implementation of the project. The steering and coordination of the building phases was done by an external project management agency. The building measures were supervised by a redevelopment agency. More than 31 construction companies, one architecture office as well as one interior designer were involved in the conversion process. The project also had several participation measures to involve and to inform the future tenants as well as the interested citizens of Flöha. Furthermore, to enhance public relations, a neighbourhood office was established on the project site to support the participation of the general public and manage the public relations measures. page 5 Figure 3: The new city- and district library in Wasserbau (Source: Website Floeha) Beneficiaries The direct beneficiaries of the project are the tenants of the building like the credit department of the district savings bank of Freiberg, the regional clubs and associations, the city and district library as well as their employees and customers. However, all the citizens of Flöha, in particular children and teenagers and local residents benefited form the refurbished Wasserbau with its newly installed services. The building now offers rooms for social und cultural associations on the ground floor as well as a district library and an event hall for public and private events on the second floor. These possibilities improve the social and cultural environment and quality of life in Flöha. The city council of Flöha describes the benefits to the local urban but also regional community as follows: ‘Since the beginning, the cultural life of the city and the region experienced a clear improvement.