Stand: November 2, 2024, 4:55 a.m
Von: Frank Sommer
PressSplit
For a long time, things were quiet around Quarter 4.0 at the former Offenbach freight station: some readers feared that the wasteland would become a permanent condition. But Franz-Josef Neumann, project manager at Aurelis, which is developing the area, gives the all-clear: “Work on the goods hall will begin at the beginning of next year, where a fitness studio and a coffee roasting plant will move in.” The corresponding rental agreements have been signed.
Offenbach – Almost unnoticed by the public, part of the east part of the goods hall was demolished in the summer to create space for parking spaces. The shops in the Güterhalle will be accessed via a new path south of the hall; the exit will be on the already built road north of the hall. In addition to the hall, the public area will also be created in this section of Quartier 4.0, including a space for the public.
A new ramp will be built so that the hall can be accessed barrier-free. “Photovoltaic systems are being installed on the roof, and there is also a new roof turret,” says Neumann. The roller shutters in the walls will be replaced by glazing and the rooms will be bright. An attempt will be made to reuse the old cobblestones laid in front of the goods hall in some form either on the hall or in the public square, he says.
1000 square meters in the goods hall are still available for rent
A branch of the Dutch fitness studio chain Basic Fit will open on 1,350 square meters in the eastern part of the hall, and right next to it, the Bunca coffee roastery will open on 650 square meters with an electric drum roaster and a small café. Both stores are scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of next year. “There will be a lot happening on the site in the coming year,” says Neumann.
Almost 1,000 square meters of remaining space in the goods hall is still available for rent, as well as the two neighboring buildings that are listed as historical monuments: the connecting building and the former railway employees’ home. “We are in discussions with the monument office about its use,” says Neumann, adding that there are already interested tenants. He didn’t want to be more specific out of consideration for the negotiations.
Interested party for supermarket on first building site
Next year, Aurelis will also begin construction of the park at the extreme northeastern tip of the district. “This is done in close consultation with the city,” says Neumann. There was broad public participation in the establishment of the neighborhood park; the area is to be divided into sports, play and relaxation areas and will largely be accessible via the school that is still to be built, the new high school – which, however, is viewed critically by citizens and teachers.
So while there is concrete work to be done on the future park and in the goods hall area, there is still no schedule for the other construction areas. Some of the building sites that are primarily intended for commercial use belong to Aurelis, while the medium-sized building sites belong to the Wilma construction company, which is primarily planning residential development there. Around 300 apartments are planned on the 14,800 square meter area. However, given the situation on the housing construction market, high interest rates and rising construction prices, construction activity is stalling nationwide. “Of course everyone assumed that construction could be done faster, but the situation in housing construction is currently difficult,” says Neumann.
Aurelis emphasizes that there are already building permits for the further construction areas or that they are well advanced. A supermarket on the ground floor is planned for the construction site directly on Untere Grenzstrasse; there is a specific interested party for this. The five buildings in the northern part of the district are very similar, which simplifies planning. “As soon as we have marketed the buildings, we can build – just like we are doing with the goods hall.”
By Frank Sommer
