Robert Koch Institute is to move for almost 60 million euros

by time news

Berlin – Like the Office of the Federal President, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is now also to leave one of its buildings in Berlin due to an upcoming renovation and to be quartered in expensive temporary accommodation for years. This emerges from a letter from the Federal Ministry of Finance to the Bundestag budget committee, which the Berliner Zeitung has received.

The letter states that the Ministry of Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) is applying for a commitment of around 57.8 million euros to conclude a rental agreement for the replacement accommodation of the RKI. Spahn is responsible for the RKI because it is part of the Ministry of Health. The millions for temporary accommodation are to be made available over twelve years from 2022 to 2033.

From Tempelhof to Wedding

The RKI is to move out of its domicile at General-Pape-Straße 62-66 in Tempelhof, which needs to be renovated. The listed building, in which, among other things, the department for epidemiology and health monitoring is located, is one of three locations of the RKI in the federal capital. The others are in Seestrasse and on the north bank in Wedding. The RKI is to move into the rooms of the former laundry factory in Richtstrasse 27 in Wedding.

It was actually planned to move the employees of the RKI in Wedding together anyway. But a skyscraper is to be built first to accommodate them. “A good ten” years should pass before it is ready. The reason why the RKI employees cannot stay in General-Pape-Straße is that the renovation work “after an intensive assessment” of the building turned out to be “significantly larger” than assumed. A renovation during ongoing operations is not feasible “without significant disruption to the operations of the RKI”.

The lease has already been terminated

Interesting: The Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks (BImA), which created the redevelopment concept, terminated the lease with the RKI for General-Pape-Strasse on May 30, 2022. Moving out to an alternative property is therefore “absolutely necessary”, according to the letter to the budget committee.

The left criticizes the planning. “Mr. Spahn wants around 58 million euros for an alternative property for the RKI,” says the member of the Bundestag Gesine Lötzsch. “Allegedly, it was discovered at very short notice that the renovation of the RKI building required a complete move-out.” However, a convincing reason was “not included”. The price per square meter is also not given. “I have the impression that the federal government spares no effort and means to make itself nice and comfortable in their houses,” says Lötzsch. Money doesn’t seem to matter anymore. “I would like the ministerial officials to be more modest,” says the Left MP. “For this interim solution, we could build almost three large new schools in Berlin. Obviously this government has lost all grip. “

Only recently had it become known that the Federal President and his employees were to leave their rooms in Bellevue Palace and the neighboring presidential office due to an upcoming renovation. A new office building for 137 million euros is to be built for the accommodation. The rental costs for the interim accommodation of the head of state and the presidential office in the new building are estimated at 65 million euros.

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