The building, which sits to the right of the entrance to the “am Park” retirement home, was afforded protected status in 2022. Last week, former Lorentzweiler mayor Jos Roller publicly criticised the fact that the house has stood empty for 25 years, with no follow-up since the classification three years ago.
Built in the 19th century, the building and the surrounding plot of around 20 acres belong to the state. Specifically, they are managed by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Family Affairs, due to the plot’s position next to the retirement home run by Servior. The state service provider for senior care homes wants to use the land to expand the nursing home, but says it cannot launch any projects for the clergy house due to the many constraints caused by its protected status.
On Wednesday, RTL met with a number of local people with input on the situation, including Roller himself, and the current mayor Marguy Kirsch-Hirtt, as well as Servior spokesperson Nathalie Hanck and the director of the National Institute for Architectural Heritage (INPA), Patrick Sanavia.
Servior representative Nathalie Hanck explained the building’s corridors and ceiling heights were not adequate for pensioners, in addition to fears of asbestos contamination. She estimated it could cost up to €2.5 million to renovate the building and a further million to sanitise it before any work could take place, all for 120 square metres of unsuitable property.
INPA director Patrick Sanavia said a declassification of the clergy house’s protected status should be a last resort. If Servior did not know what to do with the building, they could sell it to the municipal council or the government. He said he knew people who were interested in purchasing the plot. Hanck agreed that if the nursing home provider could not find a solution, they could return the plot to the state.
Sanavia said he was convinced the building could still have a purpose. “Maybe for residential purposes, or commercial, a notary, a doctor’s surgery, a pharmacy.” He said sanitation work could receive up to 50% funding. If the roof needed repairs, the government could help. The land behind the house could also be used for expansion if required. Across the road from the clergy house, another old building, privately owned, is being redeveloped at present with plans to build new homes around the historical house in the middle.
The INPA director added that constraints were not set in stone, but first a project was needed in order to analyse what elements could be kept and what could be removed. He said he sees proof that the classification is in the interest of the public in light of the fact that out of around 2,600 protected buildings, over 1,000 are currently construction sites.
Sanavia also stressed that the government had confirmed the inventory of the 60 listed buildings in the Lorentzweiler area at the start of the year. When asked why Servior didn’t contest this at the time, Hanck said that plans for a new expansion had not been on the agenda until this point. 25 years ago, Servior was tasked with managing a number of buildings across the country, and due to time constraints with other duties had not got around to the Bofferdange clergy house until now.
Now, Servior is in the process of finalising a “pre-project summary” to present to the Ministry of Family Affairs in September. Hanck said they required ministerial approval in order to gauge what would be feasible from a financial point of view.
The family ministry told RTL that Servior was responsible for the plot on 152, Route de Luxembourg. However, the ministry has been tasked with responding to a parliamentary question on the property submitted by the LSAP in the meantime.
The new retirement home would have 150 available rooms, increasing capacity from the current 104 rooms dating back to the 1970s, and would also offer a space for day residents. The project foresees a three-storey building with direct access to the main road. When it is complete, the existing nursing home behind it could be demolished to make way for a new park. The parking spaces on the left of the current entry road could disappear as they have no historical merit.
Lorentzweiler mayor Marguy Kirsch-Hirtt (Är Leit/LSAP) called the whole matter “a disgrace” and said the council’s hands were tied. Now the clergy house has protected status, the council could not order its demolition. Changing the classification for the land could not change the situation, and would not force the owners to do anything with the property.
On the exchange between Hanck and Sanavia, former mayor Jos Roller quoted Heinrich Böll: “I hear many wings beating, but never see a bird soar.” The LSAP politician said the same “excuses” and arguments had been bandied about for years without action. He believes all parties involved should get together and make a decision, but expressed scepticism over anything actually happening. He told RTL he was sure that in a year’s time, things would still be the same.
