Breathe a sigh of relief in the city of Salzburg: The HAK 1, heavily damaged by the flames, does not need to be demolished. During the renovation, the 22 school classes will move to a nearby container village.
The accident happened last Monday: The roof of the Handesakademie 1 in Lehen caught fire during flame works – the flames spread quickly and the firefighters were busy extinguishing the fire until the early hours. After that, it was unclear whether the school had to be demolished or whether the building fabric could withstand the flames. It was also unclear where the students should be housed in the new semester.
After a Friday morning meeting with school officials, the education department, the federal real estate company and the responsible regional councilor Daniela Gutschi (ÖVP), the plan is now clear. The HAK can be renovated, which at present will take about two years. “We are of course very happy with that, demolition and new construction would have taken at least four to five years,” says the State Secretary.
Container lessons on the sports field
Nevertheless, alternative accommodation for the 22 lessons must be found within eight weeks. “The intention is to build a container village on the sports field of HAK 1”, says Gutschi. However, there is still a lot of bureaucracy for the state council: the area is designated as grassland. “It’s our turn to get a special permit here as soon as possible,” says Gutschi.
Although many companies have promised to make room for the students, the container village seems to be the best solution. “A school has its own requirements. We can then use the functional spaces of the nearby HAK 2”. This means that the students do not have to miss the school buffet, gymnasium or computer labs. To ensure that the pupils do not miss their sports lessons, they must be able to use the sports fields of the surrounding pupils.
The start of school can be postponed
Actually, the container village should be ready in just under eight weeks by the start of the school. “But we may have to postpone the start of the school for a week. However, the goal is that we can present a ready-made solution for everyone involved at the start of the school,” says the Minister of Education.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
