Excavator Moves Forward: FC Othmarsingen Gets New Cloakroom Building

Several construction machines are on the road at the edge of the soccer field in the Falkenmatt in Othmarsingen. The revitalization of the Bünz at around 875 meters between the ARA Falkenmatt and the southern boundary of the municipality’s building area is in progress, and has been since April.

It’s a bit annoying that the canton was able to start its project earlier than the municipality, says Othmarsingen’s mayor, Hans Rätzer. Because the loan for the community share in the Bünz project of CHF 341,400 was spoken at the summer community in 2021. At the same meeting, the sovereign also approved the almost 800,000 francs for the construction of the new cloakroom building for FC Othmarsingen. The excavator on the FC grounds only drove up yesterday Monday.

Roof made of wood instead of concrete

Reason for the delay: the construction price increase. By the time there were offers for two-thirds of the work on the new building, the approved loan would have been exceeded by 60 percent. The project was therefore suspended last year. One problem, Rätzer explained, was that the construction companies were very busy. Above all, however, the prices for building materials have risen exorbitantly. The municipality therefore decided to wait and optimize the project.

At the ground-breaking ceremony, the representatives of the architectural firm outlined what had to be adjusted to the plans in order to return to the level of the approved loan. The toilet facility was reduced in size, as was the technical room. “There’s still room for everything, but it’s very narrow,” said architect Corina Baumgartner. Thanks to the reduction of the rooms, however, the whole house could be “compressed” by one and a half meters. The roof would have originally been built of concrete, and supports would have been needed for the canopy. Now wood is used, there is still a canopy, but it is smaller. The supports are superfluous.

The increase in prices in the construction sector is of course still noticeable, said Mayor Rätzer. With the resized project, however, one hopes to be able to keep the approved loan.

“The club is growing and growing”

The FC, meanwhile, is happy that things are finally starting. President Beat Dünki spoke of a long project planning phase; he had already dealt with the topic for the first time in 2010. He is happy that construction is now going on and would like to thank the community, regardless of the length of time. “The new building is a massive infrastructure improvement for the future,” said Dünki. And a necessary one, because “the club is growing and growing”.

The existing building is no longer sufficient, it only has two cloakrooms and a shared shower facility. Not being able to separate women and men or children and adults is no longer up-to-date. Nor is it the electric heating in the existing cloakroom building. The old cloakroom building will be connected to the heat pump in the new building.