Another Fire

Off in the distance, as you look across the landscape of Wiesbaden, is our one and only skyscraper.  The old R + V building.

Last night, the fire department got called out again.  I've more or less lost count but since July of last year when I arrived....I'd take a guess that they've responded to at least a dozen fires in the building.  Last night was an episode on the 17th floor.  Several squads were called onto the episode.

The building is part of a complex....related to the old Movenpick Hotel, a upscale restaurant, and an old school.  All shutdown within the past ten years while owners have come and gone over the idea of tearing down the whole thing, and putting up some profitable building.

No one ever gets to the point where they've got the rest of the investment money, the entire plan, the approval of the city council, or the contract to tear down the whole complex.

I noted last week, the present owner has said they've got the plan almost ready to tear down the dilapidated building, but a comment out of the city council indicating this spring schedule....is more or less "wishful thinking".  No one expects anything much to occur.  The new building to go up?  The present owners only hint that it's a condo building for upscale residents.  I might speculate that it's on some level of planning for wealthy VIPs from the Middle East who fly in.....stay a week or two every six months....and fly out.

The whole complex was fenced in around five to ten years ago....when they already had security problems and could not keep teens out of the building structure.  While the elevator has been closed off and various security doors put into place.....nothing has really worked.  So punks show up....get to the top.....do some drugs.....set some things on fire in the process.....and it's a big episode for the fire department to react to.

Why the city won't step in and tear it down themselves?  I don't know.  If I were the fire department, I'd just notice that I won't react to any fires within the structure anymore, and hope it burns to the ground.  But then some civic-minded guy would respond that some poor doped up kids might still be in the building and that wouldn't be right.