PRESS RELEASE: At the End of the Year: “Am Holstentor” Parking Garage to Close Until Further Notice

Structural issues were first identified seven years ago. Since then, the parking garage has been regularly monitored through load tests, and permission for continued use has only ever been granted on a temporary basis.

“For more intensive investigations, we will now have to completely close the parking garage until further notice,” says Dr. Ralph Bruns, Head of Parking at KWL GmbH, which operates the facility on behalf of the City of Lübeck.

All long-term tenants have already been informed about the closure.

“Our goal is to continue operating the existing parking structure under a monitoring program for as long as this is technically feasible and as long as the necessary measures can be economically financed through the garage’s own parking revenues,” Dr. Bruns explains.

Whether this will be possible cannot be determined at this time. The upcoming investigations are expected to provide answers.

Since it had long been anticipated that the parking garage would eventually reach the end of its service life, the City Council of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck already made a strategic decision in 2019 to construct a new parking garage at the same location. An architectural competition for the project has already been completed.

However, whether the project will actually be implemented remains uncertain due to various factors, including economic viability. The City Council is expected to decide on the next steps in the coming weeks.

Should the construction of a new parking garage proceed, demolition of the existing structure would need to begin promptly.

If the load tests planned for early 2026 produce positive results, a further extension of the operating permit for the existing parking garage could also be considered.

KWL has stated that it will continue to provide updates regarding future developments.