On Tuesday, November 14, 2023, representatives of Baden-Württemberg’s Ministerium für Landesentwicklung und Wohnen (Ministry of Regional Development and Housing), among them the Head of the Office of Urban Development, Leitender Ministerialrat Ralph König, as well as representatives of the Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe (Regional Government Office) visited the factory premises of Eternit AG, located on the Special-Purpose District’s territory. Jürgen Odszuck, First Deputy Mayor of the City of Heidelberg, and Claudia Felden, Deputy Mayor of Leimen, both Vice-Presidents of the Special-Purpose District, as well as Thorsten Krema, legal advisor of Eternit, welcomed them.
“We want to get a first-hand impression on site and see where funds are going to be invested,” said Ralph König. As previously announced, the Special-Purpose District has been awarded funding through the urban development fund 2023 last spring, receiving an amount of EUR 3.2M – the highest amount awarded to urban development projects in Baden-Württemberg in 2023.
Talking about the state of planning, First Deputy Mayor Odszuck said planning was well underway. A framework plan is currently under development as part of a cooperative planning process and is expected to be presented in spring 2024. “This will then be the basis for more detailed planning,” Odszuck continued. In particular, funds are set to be used for development measures and revitalizing the landmarked former production halls of Eternit, spanning an area of 2.4ha.