New training centre in Schönau is ready for occupancy

The building for the  civil protection service and the blue light organisations has now been inaugurated. It’s unlikely that all of the almost CHF 13 million loan will be needed.

The renovation and expansion work at the Schönau Training Centre in Cham has been completed. It was originally built by the Canton of Zug in 1982/83 for the training of the senior civil protection squads. The facility was subsequently upgraded by repurposing it as a training and operational location for the Civil Protection (Zivilschutz) organisation.

The premises have been used intensively by the Civil Protection ever since, but have also been available to ‘blue light’ organisations. In order for the training centre to be able to continue to fulfil its purpose, it had to be adapted to the latest requirements in terms of use, operation and energy standard. The users of the building were involved in both the project development and implementation of the project.

The surroundings work around the training centre will also be completed soon
Photo: Matthias Jurt (Cham, 9 December 2020)

"With the exception of the structural construction, the Schönau training centre has been reconstructed and rebuilt," explained Florian Weber, the Zug director of construction. "The new building envelope complies with the applicable regulations of the cantons in the energy sector."

Modern procedure in the restaurant
A lift has been installed Between the ground floor and the upper floor, the gastro area on the ground floor has been enlarged and the kitchen has been completely renewed. The self-service restaurant has been laid out in the so-called "free flow" procedure, whereby the guests can move freely between the food selection in the restaurant, and make their own choice. In addition, according to Weber, a new building has been set up in the northern area, which serves as a garage, workshop and fuel storage.

A cost ceiling of around CHF 12.8 million was originally provided. According to a statement from the canton, however, the required credit is likely to be lower than budgeted. (The project credit was already set in 2013). Planning started in February 2015, and the building credit was approved three years later, in January 2018, with construction beginning in the autumn of that year. The Civil Protection and the blue light organisations will put the building into operation in January.

Third parties may also be able to use the building under some circumstances
The Office for Civil Protection and Military, which makes use the centre most frequently, is responsible for the Schönau Training Centre. The Zug Building Insurance company (Gebäudeversicherung Zug) and the municipal fire brigades also use the centre for training. The emergency organisation of the canton of Zug, the Zug Police and the Zug Ambulance Service can also make use of the building. If space conditions allow this, other civil protection organisations and third parties may also use the Schönau Training Centre and the training ground.

"Today's key handover of the renovated Schönau training centre is a happy day for me in three respects," said Government Councillor (Regierungsrat) Florian Weber last Friday. "As a cantonal councillor, I was involved in the debate and the approval of the loan, and, as construction director, I subsequently took over the project during its construction phase, and I’m now very happy to hand the building over to the users."