Start of construction for the Mitte station
25.03.2026 – In the pedestrian zone of Frankfurter Strasse, renovation work is now starting on the Mitte station in the former Kaufhof building. A new construction fence shields the building site from the pedestrian zone. Since Thursday, the aluminum panels installed in the 1960s have been removed from the façade of the former Kaufhof building. The impressive sandstone façade from the beginning of the 20th century, which has been hidden for decades, is now being revealed. The new look gives a first impression of how the large building in a prominent location in the pedestrian zone will look in the future.
The exposed window openings in the original façade are immediately sealed from the inside so that the weather and pigeons do not penetrate the interior and the background noise of the construction work remains muted. A learning, cultural and meeting place is being created in the Mitte station, with the city library as the main user. The future offering will be complemented by retail outlets, restaurants and publicly accessible recreational and work areas.
Information evening informed about planning status
Before work began, the City of Stadtwerke Offenbach, represented by the City Library and the Economic Development Department, and Stadtwerke Offenbach, represented by its subsidiaries Station Mitte GmbH as the operating company and OPG Offenbacher Projektentwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, as well as the general contractor, Fokus Development AG, invited residents and surrounding businesses to an information evening. Here they learned about the current planning status.
Around 20 interested parties came to the nearby Scape° on Frankfurter Strasse to find out about the impact of the construction site in the heart of the pedestrian zone, the construction process, schedule and possible effects during the construction period and to ask questions.
Martin Wilhelm, City Treasurer and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Station Mitte GmbHStation Mitte will be a new meeting place for education, culture and exchange and is therefore a central project for the further development of the city center. To this end, we would like to provide the residents directly affected with comprehensive and transparent information before and during the construction work. Communication with the immediate neighborhood is important to us in order to clarify questions at an early stage and announce possible effects.
Martin Wilhelm also pointed out that there is a special newsletter for all interested parties, which provides information on all the new developments relating to the construction project.
Restrictions in the pedestrian zone should be minimized
The interior fit-out of the building should be completed by around mid-2027, provided there are no major surprises. The library can then be set up. The aim is for Offenbach residents to be able to borrow their first books and drink their first coffee here by the end of 2027 at the latest.
Before that happens, however, one business owner wanted to know how construction site traffic will be routed through the pedestrian zone during the construction phase. This will be based on the delivery traffic from the former department store through Herrnstrasse, said the project managers. The aim is to keep restrictions to ongoing business operations to a minimum.
There were questions about the construction process in particular. During the first construction phase with façade work, it must be expected that the construction site will be audible and that there will also be dust, said Axel Funke, the general contractor who won the tender for the expansion of Station Mitte. The work will then be moved inside. Care will be taken to keep the building closed. This will not only keep the dirt and noise inside. The historic sandstone façade, one third of which has been preserved, will be integrated into the future design with glass cladding.
The installation of a crane in the pedestrian zone will be exciting. On the one hand, it will be used to lift old parts of the building services from the roof, and on the other, it will transport the new façade windows upwards. Care will be taken to ensure that visitors to the city center are affected as little as possible.
Plans for future use
The future use of individual areas in the building was also discussed during the evening. According to Andreas Herzog, one of the two managing directors of Station Mitte GmbH, talks with prospective tenants for the planned café and restaurant are already well advanced, and there is also demand for the retail space on the first floor. "The plan is for the library, catering and retail outlets to be able to open and close independently of each other. On a day-to-day basis, the café should be as closely linked to the library as possible. A roof terrace is planned for the top floor, which will include both a publicly accessible area and a section for gastronomic use."
Anyone wishing to keep up to date with the current status of the construction work can subscribe to the newsletter at www.offenbach.de/newsletter (opens in a new tab).
