KWU towers give way to new Kaiserviertel with living and working space

Following intensive negotiations between the Frankfurt housing association ABG and the City of Offenbach, an agreement has been reached on a new use for the former KWU site at Kaiserlei in Offenbach. The site has attracted a great deal of attention due to its towers visible from afar as a "skeleton" at the western Offenbach and eastern Frankfurt city entrance. ABG and the City of Offenbach have agreed a Letter of Intent (LoI), which was approved by the City of Offenbach's municipal council on Wednesday and will now be submitted to the city council for final approval.

Offenbach's Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke recalls that the city's options for action have been limited in recent years. "Now we have succeeded in agreeing on a project that is thoroughly beneficial for Offenbach and the region: from housing to jobs, the future "Kaiserviertel" will offer everything that is urgently needed. This is a good day for Offenbach and for the region. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone at ABG and in Offenbach at a political and professional level who helped to make this solution possible."

The Lord Mayor of Frankfurt and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ABG, Mike Josef, said: "Good cooperation with the region is important to me. Everyone should benefit from such cooperation. In the entire region, but especially in Frankfurt, we need apartments for students and more affordable housing for everyone. That's why it was important to me that ABG made a proposal on how a sensible project could work."

Ines Fröhlich, State Secretary in the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas, says: "No talented person in Hesse should have to worry about how and whether they will find affordable housing. As the Ministry of Economic Affairs, we therefore pledged our support for this important project at an early stage, always on the condition that a student residence of a significant size would be built. With the cooperation of all those involved, this has been achieved and we stand by our word. On the site of the former KWU towers, 354 student residences are to be built. We are thus promoting the construction of affordable accommodation for students with a further project and driving forward the construction of housing. This is a key success factor in ensuring that Hesse remains attractive as a location for education and offers future skilled workers a home."

ABG Managing Director Frank Junker explains: "Housing is a task for the region and does not stop at the city limits. We are planning to make a positive urban development contribution to the overall Kaiserlei concept on the former KWU site in Offenbach and create urgently needed living space. We will also implement what ABG stands for at this location: New construction with a high quality of living, high energy efficiency standards, a social mix and a sensible infrastructure. In the development of the Hafenquartier and the Senefelder Quartier, we have already successfully committed ourselves to new apartments and neighborhoods in Offenbach. We look forward to doing the same soon on the long-empty site at the entrance to the city."

Junker adds: "The main cornerstone of the Kaiserviertel project will be the 1,179 rental apartments. That is our core business. That is why we are very happy to make the project possible and would like to thank everyone involved that it can now take concrete shape." In the project, 30 percent of the number of apartments are to be built as publicly subsidized student residences with space for 354 students. "The state of Hesse initially intends to facilitate the construction of the student residence by acquiring the relevant part of the site. As soon as the plans have been firmed up and applications for funding have been received, we will support them wherever possible. This is exactly where our state funding program "Student Housing" comes in," says Fröhlich. "In addition, 10 percent of the space will be built for residential use as publicly subsidized apartments - so that there is also an offer for everyone who works hard but only has a low income," says Schwenke. Depending on the final housing mix realized, this will be around 97 apartments. In total, 23.2 percent of the gross floor area will be publicly subsidized housing.

"The city and ABG have also agreed that only commercial space and a parking garage will be built along Strahlenberger Strasse. This will secure the commercial development of Kaiserlei and create space for jobs. Very pleasing and important for us: ABG will in any case create at least 4,200 square meters of conventional office space here," says Offenbach's Mayor Schwenke. The existing hotel will also be rebuilt along Strahlenberger Strasse.

In addition to these cornerstones, other points are important for the impact of the project. "These are also designed in such a way that it is a coherent overall project," emphasizes Offenbach's Mayor Sabine Groß, who, together with Offenbach's Head of Building Paul-Gerhard Weiß, led the negotiations with ABG on behalf of Offenbach together with Mayor Schwenke.

"The construction volume will be slightly below the previous building law and will amount to 121,788 gross floor space. We have taken care to ensure that the open spaces and densification correspond to what was previously permitted in Offenbach. For example, parts of the roofs will be prepared as open spaces for residents," says City Councillor Weiß.

The number of car parking spaces is to be 0.6 per rental apartment. A lower key is set for student housing, as students own fewer cars. The figure is therefore higher than the 0.5 parking spaces often required by developers. "It is also stipulated that this value will actually be built. In other projects, it is common practice to reduce the actual number of parking spaces to be built by means of a mobility concept or bicycle parking spaces, so that the number of parking spaces is only achieved mathematically," says Mayor Schwenke. Instead, the ABG project at Kaiserlei will also implement a mobility concept and additional bicycle parking spaces. A total of 737 car parking spaces are planned, but at least 707. "This creates a good basis for ensuring that the project complies with the legal requirements and at the same time meets the resulting parking pressure as adequately as possible. The bicycle parking spaces are planned indoors," says Weiß, head of the building department.

"A daycare centre will be built in the project. This will ensure that our great progress in covering the city with sufficient daycare places is maintained. As is usual in Offenbach, the daycare places created by the construction project must be paid for by ABG itself. In addition, as in all project-related construction projects in Offenbach, an energy concept has also been agreed that enables compliance with the important goals of the city of Offenbach's 2035 climate protection concept and the sponge city principle will be implemented with as many infiltration-capable areas and green roofs as possible," emphasizes Mayor Groß.

"Thanks to the great commitment of all involved management levels and experts from the city departments, offices and companies as well as all those involved on the ABG side, we have succeeded in finding a suitable urban development solution for the entire district together with ABG and GBO," emphasizes Weiß, head of the building department.

"We have also agreed an option for the publicly subsidized apartments. Our Offenbach housing association GBO will be given the opportunity to purchase and operate the publicly subsidized apartments. The decision on this will be made when the actual prices for construction by ABG can be quoted. This is expected to be the case in the course of 2027," says Martin Wilhelm, Chairman of the GBO Supervisory Board.

"Such an important project has a positive impact on the entire development of Kaiserlei and the neighborhood in terms of housing and jobs. It is therefore an advantage to realize this in consensus with key political forces regardless of opposition, government and electoral periods," emphasizes Mayor Schwenke. "I therefore consider the positive support for the project from the CDU/CSU and the Left Party to be a strong signal for the constructive political culture in Offenbach," Schwenke thanks.

There is high parking pressure in the Kaiserlei area in particular. The CDU has attached great importance to sufficient car parking spaces, which are fortunately being realized in the project. The CDU also welcomes the inclusion of commercial space. "The balanced mix of residential and commercial space is important for economic development and jobs in the city," says CDU leader Andreas Bruszysnki. He added: "The development of housing for students will hopefully ease the housing market to such an extent that it will also be easier for trainees to find accommodation."

Offenbach's Left Party parliamentary group leader Gizem Erinc-Ciftci welcomes the fact that a viable solution has now been found after more than ten years of stagnation and land speculation at Kaiserlei. In view of the tight situation on the Offenbach housing market, ten percent subsidized housing alongside student apartments is not enough, and the Left Party would have liked to see a significantly higher proportion of social housing. "Nevertheless, we recognize that the current solution was the most viable option under the given conditions - certainly better than letting the site lie fallow or leaving it in private hands for speculation again," says Erinc-Ciftci.