The refurbishment backlog for the state-owned buildings in Berlin continues to skyrocket. Within just three months, the costs have increased by 600 million euros. In order to modernize all of the state’s properties, 4.2 billion euros would now be needed, the responsible Berliner Immobilien Management GmbH (BIM) informed the main committee of the House of Representatives.
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However, the enormous increase does not mean that Berlin’s buildings would suddenly deteriorate at record speed. BIM explains that the main reason for the significant increase in numbers is the sharp rise in construction prices. The costs for materials and personnel on the construction sites have risen by ten percent in the past year. “Overall, this leads to an increase in funds to reduce the renovation backlog,” writes the BIM.
In the past year, the existing refurbishment portfolio could be reduced by 228 million euros through construction work. The state invested 42 million euros in the modernization of schools, 37 million euros in cultural institutions, 32 million in police buildings and 70 million in general administration buildings. At the same time, the refurbishment backlog has also increased due to the fact that the state has recently acquired further areas as part of the special real estate fund.
The redevelopment backlog is currently greatest at the Berlin police. According to the BIM, 1.35 billion euros are currently needed to bring all the buildings of the security authorities into a proper condition. 645 million euros would have to be spent on buildings in the cultural sector. 629 million euros would have to be spent on the renovation of the general administration buildings and 562 million euros would have to be raised for the maintenance of the Berlin schools. The budget for the prisons is 478 million euros and for the Berlin fire brigade 204 million euros.
However, the total of 4.2 billion euros does not cover all the measures that the state has to carry out on its buildings. A further 2.2 billion euros are needed to convert the building to meet the requirements of the Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Act. In order to also guarantee accessibility everywhere, as provided for in the master plan for the implementation of the UN Disability Rights Convention, an additional 137 million euros must be invested.
