There is no shortage of vacant land in Rüsselsheim that could be profitably transformed into attractive new neighborhoods with money from the city. But the scope for design is limited in a municipality that has to budget – and that will probably still be missing a three-digit million amount over the next four years. The figures for 2026, which are expected to show a deficit of almost 83 million euros in the budget, have only been submitted. The factions in the city council still have to decide on it and then approve the regional council. Nevertheless, everyone involved has known what lies ahead for the cash-strapped municipality since the mayor and treasurer Patrick Burghardt (CDU) introduced the budget in November. In view of a “disastrous financial situation,” which also affects other German cities and municipalities in a similar way, “difficult decisions” have to be made, said the town hall boss. It is clear that the citizens’ frustration will also grow. Burghardt discovered in February at the latest that a harsher wind is blowing and the tone has become harsher in the traditional Opel city, which has been hit by the crises in the auto industry for years. At that time, a waste oil attack in which the entrance door of the public order office in the listed Palais Verna was smeared, as well as a comparable excrement attack at the entrance to the environmental office, not only stunned the mayor. Mayor and Treasurer Patrick Burghardt (CDU).Volker DziemballaIn comparison to his first term in office, i.e. the phase from 2012 to 2018, he had to state that “inhibitions continue to fall,” said the forty-five-year-old, who only returned to the top of the town hall in 2024. Since the two attacks and also because city employees apparently feel threatened and insulted more often than before, the administration at Rüsselsheim’s market square is only open to visitors if they actually have an appointment. However, in the city leader’s opinion, more aggressive behavior and a sometimes rude tone cannot be attributed to a specific population group, but rather should be seen as a phenomenon affecting society as a whole. Even though in social networks, mostly right-wing commentators in this context primarily refer to people with a migrant background. In fact, he sees the danger that the strict austerity measures, for example in school construction, culture and infrastructure projects, which currently affect many financially poorly equipped municipalities in Hesse, tend to strengthen the parties on the margins and thus endanger the state. Taxes and fees must be raised Whether and how the ever-increasing financial holes, according to the treasurer, will be corrected It remains to be seen, among other things, rising personnel costs, insufficient key allocations from the state and insufficient social transfer payments, which may have an impact on the next local elections on March 15th. After all, in December at least the long overdue budget for 2025 was approved by the supervisory authority in Darmstadt. However, the municipality, which was forced to make significant savings, had to put together a “consolidation package” with a volume of more than 33 million euros. In addition, in order to generate further revenue, it should increase taxes and fees in the next few years. After all, the city on the Main, which currently has around 66,000 inhabitants, was able to transfer grants totaling a good 200,000 euros to Rüsselsheim’s sports and cultural clubs before the turn of the year. More on the topic And the Rollwerk near the train station, which is in urgent need of funding and which, according to the magistrate, has developed into a “socio-cultural center with supra-regional appeal and an important meeting place”, now seems to have a future. In the medium term, if possible by 2027, the project supported by the Skate Kultur association is to be relocated to a new location. An old factory hall on Weisenauer Straße called E-Bau is planned for this purpose. Adam Opel’s first factory, which stood empty for a long time, would like to be gradually transformed into a culture and development campus by 2035 with financial support from the federal and state governments. According to plans, the Rollwerk, i.e. the skate and event hall that can still be found in Hall A1, could also be housed in the 4,000 square meter building in the future. Rüsselsheim is likely to be dependent on active support not only for the quarter, which is to be redesigned with the help of the federal-state funding program “Growth and Sustainable Renewal”. This is the only way the city can master the transformation processes necessary in the coming decades. The fact that Opel and the Stellantis Group have agreed to jointly create a “Green Campus” – i.e. an ultra-modern and sustainably designed corporate headquarters – at the proven location is undoubtedly an identity-creating and extremely important thing for the car manufacturing city. The first groundbreaking ceremony took place in September. Very green and architecturally appealing: The new Opel and Stellantis Germany headquarters on Mainzer Straße in Rüsselsheim, called the Green Campus. Opel/Stellantis An administration and development building, a design center and a parking garage are planned on an approximately 100,000 square meter site, which are to be realized by the Belgian real estate and project developer VGP. A “commitment to the location” and “a successful example of what the commercial urban design of tomorrow can look like,” says the mayor, who is also pleased about a resource-saving and architecturally sophisticated upgrade of the western city entrance. In any case, Rüsselsheim, which is also working with VGP to find good and harmonious solutions on the old areas that Opel has already sold, is a highly attractive city despite its undisputed financial concerns. There are interesting residential projects, whether on Eselswiese or at Ostpark, a university that is attractive for young engineering scientists and a theater that is finally about to be renovated. In addition, Rüsselsheim is pursuing the ambitious goal of being a significant hydrogen producer in the Rhine-Main region in the future. And last but not least, sooner or later a Motorworld event location is to be opened in the Opel old factory at the train station – a factory that will attract car lovers from near and far with glass garages, workshops, dealers, restaurateurs and a hotel. This is intended to bring fans of classic and classic cars as well as sports cars to Rüsselsheim.
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