Thermengruppe Wund Drives Bad Vilbel Project Forward

(eap) Almost three years ago, in January 2021, the building application was submitted for a new 200-million-euro spa construction project – the Therme Bad Vilbel, located around a 20 minutes’ drive from the Main metropolis of Frankfurt (Germany) (see EAP-News of 18.01.21). The mega project, carefully planned by the thermal spa group Josef Wund and the Wund Thermengruppe, will include a health and wellness area, a sports pool, a sauna as well as a large slide attraction landscape and will set new standards on a 13-hectare site, not only for the region, as the aim is to “become a flagship for ecological and sustainable construction,” as Edelfried Balle, Managing Director of Thermal Bath Group Wund, explained at the time and hoped that construction would start soon (see EAP 6/2021).

However, the investors are still waiting for this final start of construction. This is why the Wund Thermengruppe has recently brought the major project back to the attention of citizens and decision-makers with a citizen-oriented campaign: with a thermal spa information stand opposite the Old Town Hall at the Christmas market in Bad Vilbel, those responsible provided detailed information about their project. According to Edelfried Balle, the information forum organized by the Thermengruppe was extremely well received. “The direct exchange with the citizens was also good for us ... We now know that we are welcome in Bad Vilbel with our plans,” says Balle. The fact that the citizens of the region are eagerly awaiting the thermal bath was also demonstrated by the large number of very specific questions – for example, about a specific date for the start of construction. “The thermal bath and the sports pool are definitely coming, the team is working flat out on the implementation and we are confident that the go-ahead will probably be given in the second half of 2024. Based on our experience to date, we expect construction to take around 24 months,” Edelfried Balle and his team repeatedly assured in discussions.

The town of Bad Vilbel was also positively surprised by the response from the residents, as Mayor Sebastian Wysocki commented. Since the first considerations for the thermal spa project – initially in person with Josef Wund (†) more than ten years ago and now with the thermal spa group – the cooperation with the town and the Wetterau district has been very trusting and transparent and there has been a regular exchange on all important issues, he said. Those responsible and investors are confident that they will finally be able to start construction work in the middle of next year. ■