Series on the 2023/2024 budget
Reopening is in sight
In the series on budget decisions, this time we take a look at the sauna at the municipal swimming pool. Chemnitz City Council has decided to invest 25,000 euros in refurbishment measures. In this interview, Norman Schröder, Head of the Baths Department, explains the current state of the sauna and how the financial support will be used.
Why is the sauna currently closed?
Norman Schröder: As a result of the energy crisis, the city has been thinking about how costs can be saved. In the pool area, it was important to us to maintain the operation of the swimming pools as far as possible, especially with regard to club and school swimming.
We therefore decided to temporarily close the sauna to ensure that the pool's most important facilities remain available.
How can the current state of the sauna be described?
Due to its 40 years of operation, the sauna is in need of renovation. Although some parts have already been repaired, the areas for users are still largely unrenovated. However, the current closure period gives us the opportunity to rectify at least some of the defects. We are currently working on renovating the sanitary facilities and the two quiet rooms. We have also improved the operational safety of the saunas and renovated the water treatment systems and the central ventilation technology.
What measures still need to be carried out to renovate the sauna?
Some of the pipes that supply the sauna date back to 1935 and 1983, the year in which it was renovated, which poses a corresponding fire risk. These pipes must be dismantled before the sauna can be renovated and everything brought up to date in order to offer a contemporary facility.
For reasons of energy saving, there have long been restrictions in the operation of the municipal baths. By closing down the sauna in the municipal pool, the opportunity arose to make a contribution to society as a whole. The sauna in the Golfbad was retained as it is a new building with the appropriate energy standards and a PV system. Schröder estimates that around four million euros will be needed to fully modernise the sauna at the municipal swimming pool.
The city council has now decided to use 25,000 euros to renovate the sauna. What will happen with this sum according to the plan?
We gratefully accept the money and will make further funds available from our budget for maintaining the value of the building in order to carry out the measures mentioned. An equally big issue for the building this summer is the renewal of the entire cash register system. Our aim is to use the money to transfer all Chemnitz pools to a standardised cash register system. We hope that this will improve the quality of service by allowing visitors to use all of Chemnitz's pools with a single card.
When can the people of Chemnitz expect the sauna to open?
Despite being in need of renovation, the sauna in the Stadtbad is in constant demand and is visited by up to 30,000 users every year. The spacious areas and sauna cabins as well as the central location of the Stadtbad in the heart of the city are particularly popular. We are therefore very pleased that we will be able to reopen the sauna for the people of Chemnitz from 18 September 2023 and are confident that the planned improvements will make your visit more enjoyable.
The most important facts at a glance
- Investment amount by city council resolution: 25,000 euros
- Lump-sum renovation requirement for the municipal swimming pool sauna: around 4 million euros
- Submitted to the city council: SPD
- The municipal baths were opened in 1935 and have had a sauna right from the start.
- Today, the facility has five classic saunas, such as a bio sauna, a dry sauna, a Finnish sauna and a steam bath.
- In total, the Stadtbad sauna covers an area of almost
1,200 square metres.
