Controversial Funding Decision Looming for Coral World Project
In the heart of Berlin-Lichtenberg, the Rummelsburger Bucht remains a highly sought-after industrial and residential area, with other residential projects such as "My Bay" and "Q218" underway. However, one project has sparked controversy – the planned "Coral World Berlin" (CWB) project.
The initiative "Beach for All" and the association "Naturfreunde Berlin" have gathered over 40,000 signatures against the building plan and filed an urgent application with the Higher Administrative Court. However, their plea was rejected at the beginning of February.
The CWB applied for an exemption from the building plan in January 2022, due to the project being larger than originally stated. The new construction plans include a marine museum, water house, park, a hotel with 169 rooms and 106 parking spaces, and other facilities.
The construction of the CWB project was approved by the Lichtenberg district assembly in April 2019. Yet, the hotel component was only revealed much later, causing controversy among opponents who view it as a deception. Hendrikje Klein, a Left Party representative, criticized the hotel project as a "deception of politics, administration, and the public."
A homeless camp at the Rummelsburger Bucht was dissolved in February 2021, causing controversy among critics who saw it as a pretext to clear the way for the investor's plans.
The Senate Administration supports the project due to its potential for sustainable economic development of the region. The Berlin Senate has not ruled out that the funds will be granted shortly. The GRW funding, a subsidy of up to 30% of the planned investment costs, has been applied for by CWB.
However, the search results do not contain information about who submitted the application for the CWB project support with the GRW fund to the Berlin Senate. The Senate Administration has not disclosed any concrete visualization of the future project at the Rummelsburger Bucht.
It is said that the district has already granted the necessary building permit for the CWB project. The Berlin House of Representatives did not sell the land for a hotel, and the Lichtenberg district assembly did not vote for the building rights for a hotel.
The "Coral World" project has been controversial due to its tourist-oriented nature and potential ecological impacts. Opponents argue that the project may disrupt the local ecosystem and attract large crowds, causing strain on the area's infrastructure.
Meanwhile, another residential project, "At the Mole", by HOWOGE, is being built in Rummelsburg. This project, unlike the CWB, has not stirred the same level of controversy.
As the CWB project moves forward, it remains to be seen how the controversy will unfold and whether the project will indeed become a reality in the Rummelsburger Bucht.
