City of Offenbach paves the way for redesign of the former KWU towers
16.11.2023
In order to re-initiate the development of the former KWU site at Kaiserlei, the municipal council is proposing to the city council that the city of Offenbach officially substantiate its willingness to make changes to the existing project-related development plan: At its meeting on November 15, the Offenbach City Council therefore approved a letter of intent between the city and Becken GmbH. The Hamburg-based Becken Group acquired the site and the office towers on it this year from the Adler Group, which is in an economically challenging situation and had therefore discontinued further work on the KWU towers. Becken intends to continue the project, which was halted by the previous owner, under significantly different conditions.
The plan is to create a green and lively urban district on the site, which has excellent transport links. The decisive factor is whether it will be possible to build up to 1,500 apartments for students in the former office towers. The rest of the site is to be used for offices, a hotel, restaurants, retail, a parking garage and affordable housing.
To ensure that the project is economically viable in view of developments in the construction industry, the Becken Group is in negotiations with the City of Frankfurt, the Frankfurt Student Union and the State of Hesse regarding financial support for the core of the project, the student apartments.
Lord Mayor Dr. Felix SchwenkeAdjustments to the building law by the City of Offenbach make it easier for the other partners involved to find solutions. That is why we are now making a start and making the first important contribution to success.
Paul-Gerhard Weiß, Head of Building and Planning, outlines the way forward: "If Offenbach's city councillors also approve the declaration of intent on November 30, a new urban development contract will then regulate legally binding adjustments to the building law for both sides."
Lord Mayor Schwenke, who has repeatedly brought interested parties together with the former owner over the past years and months with great personal commitment, emphasizes: "Our goal remains to create the basis for the revitalization of the site. The state and the region urgently need additional student accommodation, so this is not an emergency solution, but a sensible and objectively reasonable approach. However, it is also clear that for these plans to become reality, everyone involved must continue to be willing to support this project. So far, I have noticed that everyone is willing to provide this support, and with this declaration of intent, the City of Offenbach is now providing all the prerequisites for further talks."
Planning for mixed-use district
The letter of intent specifies basic requirements, including the ratio of residential to commercial space and the possible gross floor area. As announced by Head of Planning and Construction Paul-Gerhard Weiß, Becken GmbH had submitted a planning proposal for the construction of a mixed-use quarter to the City of Offenbach in advance - together with a request to specify the city's key requirements for the future quarter in a next step.
Head of Department Weiß: "From a financial point of view, it is still very important for the city that a certain amount of new commercial space is created in accordance with the objectives of the master plan. The Kaiserlei quarter is largely intended as a commercial and service location and we want to increase the quality of this location and attract more new companies. However, in order to create urgently needed new living space for students, we are prepared to change the ratio from the previous 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial to 70 percent residential and 30 percent commercial. This is one of the key points set out in the declaration of intent." The city is also prepared to increase the previously planned gross floor area. "However, this is clearly linked to the condition that cross-financing is created to enable affordable student housing," says Mayor Schwenke, emphasizing that no one should speculate that the city will create more and more mass here.
Head of the building department Paul-Gerhard WeißWith these compromises, we want to ensure that the KWU site does not remain a wasteland for many more years, but that new life will soon return here.
These adjustments require an amendment to the project-related development plan number 645 "Strahlenbergerstraße Ost". The city remains committed to a sustainable energy concept, according to which the entire energy supply is to be completely CO2-neutral. 30 to 40 percent of the new housing to be built is to be publicly subsidized, thus ensuring affordable rents. In addition to students, families, senior citizens and trainees will also live there in future. In addition, the developer is planning a neighborhood management for the new area and the construction of the required number of daycare places. Becken GmbH also intends to retain a public swimming pool, which will be used primarily by schools. Car-sharing services and charging facilities for electric cars and a bike hire station are also to be created. Details on all of these points are to be set out in the urban development contract.