Wasserland public petition: the city is facing the next public petition. Two initiatives have announced they will be collecting signatures against the new swimming pool in Dottendorf from next week. They need about 10,000 for a successful petition. If the council does not follow this vote – which seems certain – the second referendum in Bonn’s history follows. The Jamaica coalition decided on the Wasserland project in December. The public utility company is to build the pool for around Euro 60 million and later run it. If the building application and consent are available as quickly as planned, the first groundbreaking should happen in 2018.

Inner city ring blocked: drivers will have to get used to a changed traffic route in city centre as early as next week. Due to the construction of the Maximilian Centre at the main train station, the city wants to close this section for around three months. The city ring will be blocked for traffic in a northerly direction. During the closure, the council wants to again test a left turn from Belderberg to Betha-von-Suttner-Platz. This would allow drivers from the Godesberg direction the opportunity to reach the underground garages around the city hall without a long detour.

University jubilee: The university was founded 200 years ago by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia giving an opportunity to celebrate the 2018 jubilee with a large-scale series of events over all four quarters. First a historical perspective: what influence did the university have on history in, around and with Bonn? The second focus is on sustainability. From July to September, the world of numbers is the focus and at the end of the year, the challenges of global society. The numerous events will be open to the general public as well as partly being conceived for an expert audience. There will be several highlights, above all the actual anniversary on 18 October 2018 when German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier will open the official ceremony in the former German parliament. On Saturday 7 July there will also be a large party for the public in the city.

Closure of the Godesberg tunnel: this will be at the start of the summer holidays in the middle of July because of upgrading in terms of safety. Peter Esch, head of the civil engineering department, fears total chaos. Each tunnel will be closed for six months. The other will remain open and oncoming traffic allowed.

Budget and opera: two topics will keep the council particularly busy: the next budget debate and the fate of the opera house. As the city has had a large deficit for many years and, according to a target set by the Cologne district government, must achieve break even by 2021, new savings measures and possible increases in municipal taxes are expected. Financial pressure is also growing because of a backlog in renovations of city buildings. An expert report should be available by the summer on the possible construction of a new opera house– either in the old location or in Bad Godesberg’s city park. The listed town hall would have to be demolished. If a new build is not feasible, the opera house would need to be repaired over many years at an estimated cost of Euro 82 million.

Bundeskanzlerplatz: construction of the new office complex on the site of the Bonn-Center, which was demolished in 2017, is scheduled to start in the new year. The hopes of the city and the investor Art-Invest that the approximately 1000 employees of the EU Medicines Agency (EMA) could move in there have been dashed. Now, according to a company spokesman, the excavation will begin in February or March. The start of construction is planned for the start of 2019, the completion for the end of 2021.

Bonn continues to build: if all goes according to plan, work on the “Urban soul” project on Nordfeld next to the Maximilian Centre can soon begin. The construction of an office building and a hotel are planned. Urban Soul wants to build a multi-storey car park with offices on the other side of Rabinstraße. Deutsche Bahn has had a construction site at the main station since November 2016, where the roof is being renovated. The works should be finished by the end of 2019. The former student home in Erzbergerufer, which was last used as a refugee home, will be demolished. A new three star hotel will be built on the site by 2020 at the latest. Next door, the renovation of the Beethovenhalle continues.

Hospital location: the community hospital is extending its Sankt Petrus location on Bonner Talweg. The construction of a fifth storey should happen by the middle of the year.

Cable car analysis: the possible construction of a cable car on the Venusberg led to an intensive debate in 2017 between supporters and critics. Now an economic cost-benefit analysis is on the agenda, which follows a nationwide procedure. Proof of economic benefit is required to receive NRW subsidies for the construction.

Green Juice: despite weather-related losses last year, the Green Juice Festival will take place in 2018 on 17 and 18 August in the Neu-Vilicher Park. A total of 13 bands will perform on two stages. In its eleventh year, a festival camping site will have its premiere. Around 7500 visitors are expected.

Noise lawsuits are off the table for the moment for the sixth season of Kunst!Rasen in Gronau, after an agreement before the higher administrative court in Münster. In contrast to major festivals, however, the concerts in the Rheinaue must end by 10pm. There are 15 concerts on the programme from the end of June to the end of August. Event organiser Ernst-Ludwig Hartz is expecting around 50,000 visitors who can experience Alanis Morissette, the Fantastic Four, Steve Winwood and Simple Minds among others.

North Bridge: the Friedrich-Ebert Bridge, known to most Bonners as the North Bridge, needs to be extensively renovated. Work is expected to start in October. In the following year, the “Tausendfüßler” – the motorway bridge on the section between Endenich and Tannenbusch – is to be completely demolished and rebuilt and the Bonn South Bridge will be completely renovated. (Original text: bau, bot, kf, kph, lis, spj. Translation: kc.)