In the “Essential by Dorint” hotel in Niederrad, normal hotel operations will continue until the end of October, after which the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) has rented the building from the owner on behalf of the city – with a term of 20 years to set up temporary accommodation there for homeless people and refugees. Because residents always have questions about such projects, the city administration and the ASB have invited people to an information event.
The renovation of the hotel will begin in November: 191 double rooms will then be converted into 104 residential units of different sizes so that refugee families with more than four people can also be accommodated there together.
In addition, cooking facilities will gradually be installed, until then the people will be fully fed by caterers, as Katrin Wenzel, head of the city’s accommodation management department, explains. At the end of next year, the renovation should be completed and space created for 320 homeless people and refugees, said Wenzel.
The Workers’ Samaritan Association, represented by managing director Thomas Müller-Witte, will be the sponsor of the facility. Müller-Witte encourages residents to contact them directly with questions, complaints or suggestions: “After the renovation, you will find a contact person there every day.” A caretaker, a security service at night, two people who help look after Children could help, and someone to coordinate volunteers would be on site, he announced. “We want everything here to run as smoothly and quietly as possible, and if possible no one is restricted.”
Space for families from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea
The swimming pool in the Dorint Hotel arouses some desires. The audience asked several times whether it could not be continued since there was obviously a lack of opportunities to swim indoors in Frankfurt. A trade-off for the ASB and the staff office: the costs of heating, circulation pumps, hot water, liability, supervision on the one hand, and the benefits for only a few bathers on the other, so that access would have to be restricted: “This thing is so big like a duck pond,” says Müller-Witte about the pool. Wenzel adds: “Rest assured: If it had been possible to continue to use the swimming pool sensibly, we would have done it.” The pool will remain closed.
The second major issue is a lack of places in daycare centers and schools. Apparently, the head of the education department, Sylvia Weber (SPD), has already guaranteed places for the children of refugees, but not all of the children in Niederrad have been accommodated, it is said. Christa Weber, Wenzel’s deputy, rejects this. The new arrivals would have to be put on a waiting list at Kinderet Frankfurt just like everyone else who is looking for a childcare place. “There is no preference, you can be insured,” she says firmly.
However, most of the boys and girls already have a place – but in other parts of the city. The families who were supposed to move into the converted hotel building at the turn of the year had already lived in the city for one or two years. You can change your place of residence in the middle of the school year, but you should not change schools. For the children of the refugees, the journey to their old school or daycare center will then be longer.
According to Wenzel, families from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea will move into the transitional accommodation. In order to reduce the pressure on individual educational institutions, care will be taken to ensure that not only families with small children move in, but that the age range from zero to 17 years of age is also covered.
Mixed reactions
The police will also be available to respond to special concerns at the information evening. When the question of security for and at the nearby cemetery arises, district manager Sybille Breer offers herself as a conversation partner.
Thieves who have stolen brass parts and even an urn there in the past have nothing to do with the three existing refugee shelters in Niederrad, the First Police Chief Inspector makes it clear. There have also been no crime hotspots there, and she doesn’t expect that to happen with the new accommodation either.
Some listeners are already signing up to help on a voluntary basis, and an open youth facility is offering cooperation. Before the building is ready for occupancy, there will be an open day so that residents can get an impression of the inside, Wenzel announced.
At the end, a young woman from the audience says she came because she was prompted to do so by “weird comments on Facebook” that she actually didn’t want to leave uncommented. But their authors apparently shied away from publicity that evening. “Instead,” she calls out to the group, somewhat surprised but delighted, “I see a lot of cool people here.”
