Düsseldorf’s State Chancellery Renovation Expected to be Completed by the End of the First Half-Year
According to the state government, the ongoing renovation works at the Düsseldorf State Chancellery are expected to be completed within the first half of the year. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Rheinische Post (Friday edition) said that the current restoration work at the building’s entrances is already in use, with the exception of a few remaining tasks. Additionally, the renovation of the staircases is nearing completion, alongside smaller works in the ground and basement floors. The interior courtyards are scheduled for a later facelift, part of the overall renovation plan.
The spokesperson clarified that the stated completion date refers to the works within and around the building, excluding external façade renovations, which are not yet included in the timeline.
The renovation project has faced repeated delays and significant cost overruns. Recently, several searches were conducted in connection with corruption allegations, with the state prosecutor and the Landeskriminalamt (LKA) estimating a damage of tens of millions of euros. On Tuesday, the state-owned building company, BLB, was among the entities searched, and the Landtag is scheduled to hold a special meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee on Friday to discuss the issue.
When asked about the current state of the costs and estimated total costs, the spokesperson replied that the funding for the renovation and modernization of the state building is divided among three cost bearers: the BLB NRW, responsible for maintenance works; the State Chancellery, for user-side optimizations and renovations; and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Building, and Digitalization, for security measures.
The current cost status of the State Chancellery’s renovation is being re-evaluated. At the moment, the government’s budget plans from June 20, 2024, are being referred to, which initially estimated the total costs at around 55 million euros.