On 22 October, the city council of Neckarsulm approved the sale of the AQUAtoll site to PL ImmoInvest GmbH. The property is being transferred for a symbolic amount to the company owned by investor Piyer Lahdo. The notarial purchase agreement is due to be notarised shortly. The objective of the transaction is to revive the water park, which has been closed since 2022, and to realign the site in urban planning terms.
The contractual agreements stipulate that the refurbishment of the existing buildings will be carried out entirely by the investor and without municipal financial subsidies. The basic structure of the leisure pool complex will be largely retained, while the technical facilities will undergo a comprehensive overhaul and the premises will be visually upgraded. By contrast, the neighbouring sports pool will remain permanently in the ownership of the City of Neckarsulm.
New hotel construction as a core economic component
A key element of the overall concept is a new building in the southern part of the site. In this area, Piyer Lahdo plans to build a hotel with around 90 rooms and an event space for approximately 500 people. Access to the complex is to be provided via the existing Reisachmühlweg. The construction of the accommodation business is decoupled from the timetable for the refurbishment of the pool.
Ahead of the decision, the original plans were modified. A car museum that had been considered at one stage was discarded, whilst the hotel capacity was doubled from an initial 45 to the currently planned 90 units. Entry into the project began early in the year via a letter of intent, followed by an initial presentation of the concept in February and a sound assessment of the investor's financial capability.
Planning law implementation and procedures
Because current building law does not permit the intended hotel use at this location, the city council decided to initiate the procedure to draw up the project-based development plan "Sulmtalpark (Aquatoll)". In parallel, adjustments to the land use plan are required. The Heilbronn-Franken Regional Planning Association has already indicated that a regional planning review will be considered in this regard.
Neckarsulm's Lord Mayor Steffen Hertwig highlighted the intensive negotiations that secured municipal interests and the legal framework. On the project participants' side, head of department Manuel Heer, architect Ulrich Bechler, and former mayor Klaus Grabbe supported the process. A precise date for the reopening of the leisure pool has not yet been set due to the upcoming refurbishment stages.
