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Politics is right for anchorage continuation – but at what price?
On December 15th, the Stade council will decide on the continuation of the anchorage; Project goal: inner-city revitalization and avoidance of repayments.
Politics is right for anchorage continuation – but at what price?
In Stade on December 15th everything will revolve around the “anchorage”. A landmark council meeting is imminent in which a decision will be made about the continuation of this project. Loud District newspaper weekly The CDU/WG, SPD, Greens and FDP/UBLS factions have submitted a motion to continue the “anchor position”. Support from most council members is considered certain.
The two arguments in favor of continuing the project are particularly important. Officially, the potential to revitalize the inner-city area is emphasized, while unofficially there is pressure to avoid repayment of several hundred thousand euros in funding. Behind the scenes, the “anchorage” is expected to continue until 2028 to avoid these financial obligations.
Funding and projects
The Hanseatic city of Stade benefits from considerable funding that flows into the development of the “Ankerplatz”. Loud City of Stade Around 199,000 euros are earmarked from the “Future Spaces Lower Saxony” program, which is intended to cover 60% of the total costs, which are estimated at over 331,000 euros. The first phase will begin with the creation of a so-called anchorage nucleus. The planned facilities include containers for citizen information and participation management as well as co-working spaces and gaming containers.
A community manager is hired to support the “Ankerplatz” association in the care and development of the site. This initiative aims to finance the running costs and fees for artists in the first phase. The design of the square is based on ideas from a competition held in 2019 by Stade Marketing and Tourismus GmbH.
Challenges and perspectives
Although the plans appear solid, there are some challenges. At the end of December, the full-time position of “Anchorage Captain” Wilkens was announced by telephone, and she spoke about the challenges of her term in a final message on Instagram. She also reports that she was not sufficiently informed about her departure, which is rejected by politicians. Concerned council members raise concerns about their ability to take the project into a new phase.
In addition, the structure of the “Ankerplatz” association as a “closed circle” is criticized. There is a desire for more transparency and participation here. At the same time, politics calls for fewer maritime metaphors in the project's communication in order to promote clear and simple communication. A usage agreement between the city and the association is to be drawn up by March 2026, with commercial uses having to be agreed upon in advance.
The framework conditions for urban development funding
The “Ankerplatz” project takes place in the context of urban development funding in Lower Saxony. These programs are designed to develop sustainable urban structures and support social and economic adaptation processes. Loud Niedersachsen.de The state is intensively promoting the project, with every euro of urban development funding resulting in additional public and private investments, which above all strengthen the order situation in the construction industry.
The decision about the future of the “Anchor Square” could not only have far-reaching financial consequences, but also have a positive impact on the development of the inner-city area in Stade. All eyes are now on the crucial meeting next December.