The start of construction for the giant thermal baths in Bad Vilbel, which was last estimated at a good 200 million euros, is taking longer than initially expected.

With a start-up, it is not foreseeable that anything will happen again this year.

However, the symbolic groundbreaking is actually getting closer.

Bad Vilbel Mayor Sebastian Wysocki (CDU) expects him at the end of this year or shortly after, as he told the FAZ.

The southern German thermal baths group, Wund, as developer and operator, and the construction supervisor at the Wetteraukreis are still coordinating on fire protection issues.

Thorsten Winter

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for central Hesse and the Wetterau.

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The thermal baths are to be built on an area of ​​around 15 hectares, which corresponds to 20 football pitches.

There is still farmland there.

According to the mayor, it is the largest construction project to be approved in the Wetterau, measured by the dimensions.

The city administration had the last meeting with representatives of the wound group in December and was updated.

"We've already seen the 3D building models and know, for example, where palm trees and loungers should be," explained Wysocki.

The company is not only very advanced in planning the building application, but also with regard to the construction itself.

Referring to ongoing talks between the Wund group and the building inspector, the mayor said he understood the company didn't want a partial building permit.

The history of the capital's airport in Berlin teaches us how important fire protection is.

Before this has not been clarified to everyone's satisfaction, there will be no first groundbreaking.

The city itself is ready to put a tick behind planning law and sewer connections.

The lines and the like that still had to be laid did not pose a major problem. "Once the building permit has been granted, there is nothing standing in the way from our side," emphasized Wysocki.

The wound group did not respond to a request from the FAZ. According to earlier information, they are planning "Germany's most modern, sustainable and innovative thermal baths" with 30 saunas, a thermal pool with local medicinal water, rooms for health treatments and a series of water slides.

There should also be a municipal indoor pool.

The site is to be connected to the B3.