Planbude throws: Esso houses on the Reeperbahn in danger!

Planbude throws: Esso houses on the Reeperbahn in danger!

The turbulent fate of the Esso houses on the Reeperbahn takes a dramatic turn. After ten years of intensive participation, the Planbude, an important participation project in Hamburg, has now hired its work. The reason? Dissatisfaction with the property owner, the Bavarian house building.

The Planbude was originally founded to represent the interests of the residents during the elaborate planning process of the ESSO houses in the popular St. Pauli district. Despite many progress over the years, including an architectural competition in 2016 and an urban development contract from 2018, the company has now rejected its plans. The project, which appeared promising, was thrown into the ton by the Bavarian house building, as the Planbude announced.

Reason for failure

The escalation of the situation came when the construction economy stalled for the first time in years. Florian Schörghuber, the company's new heir, has completely restructured the project development and significantly reduced the department. "The group no longer has the ability to build the self-planned Esso houses," said the initiative. These changes have led to a standstill on the previously promising building ground.

The Planbude was particularly disappointed that both the urban development senator Karen Pein and Mayor Peter Tschenscher took over the company's perspective. "In unison, they talk badly what they themselves commissioned and negotiated," said the Planbude. The initiative stated that the Senate is pursuing the developments in the Paloma district with a certain naivety and willing to give up existing contracts without thinking. "We will not go this path from the pioneer model of a cooperative urban development to the ordinary speculation object. We are out," said the clear announcement.

According to the original plans, around 200 new apartments were to be built, which were mostly designed as publicly funded rental apartments. The provision of commercial space and public spaces, such as green roofs for leisure activities, were also part of the design. But instead of the seamless implementation, a large building gap of around 6,000 square meters in the heart of the neighborhood - a visible sign for the failed project.

The property owners, the Bavarian house building, had already acquired the site in 2008. Since then, however, the company has not submitted a application for the construction, but has been handed over the area to Saga over a year before the municipal housing company, where the possibilities for publicly funded housing are still being examined. This has raised further ambiguities about the future of the site.

Available from a saga spokesman is said to be for understanding that no further information can be provided due to ongoing negotiations. This raises questions about how the coveted residential projects in Hamburg will continue, which are urgently needed. The Planbude supported the participation of around 2,300 people in the design and has always tried close cooperation with the citizens.

In view of the now impending uncertainty about the future use of the area, the question remains how the city of Hamburg will deal with this unfortunate development and whether there is a perspective for the ESSO houses at all. Numerous citizens now see the project at risk and fear that the vision of a livable, community living loses importance for the Paloma district.