Hürth is planning a new city center: Agora project for a lively community!

Hürth is planning a new city center: Agora project for a lively community!

The city of Hürth has recently made significant progress in the development of the former district hall site. The main committee that decided to purchase the main building sent an important signal. However, there will soon be a change in this building, which currently houses the Somnia Clinic and the St. Ursula Senior Citizens Center. The institutions mentioned have already announced their departure. There is also agreement with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia on the acquisition of the adjacent police building after the police headquarters were relocated to Bergheim. Mayor Dirk Breuer expressed his optimism: “All contracts are with the notary.”

The project, known under the project title “Agora Hürth”, aims to create an urban center that will bring the Hürth population closer together. The agora, a central meeting place in antiquity, is used as a model here. At a well-attended CDU information event in the Hermann Lang House, the mayor explained how this project can finally complete the largely unfinished center of the city.

The central elements for the new city quarter between Bonnstrasse, Hürther Bogen, Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse and the old cemetery are a city library and the music school, which is to move. The project covers a total area of ​​around 23,000 square meters. Here the city is planning to create a so-called “third place” that will offer citizens and visitors attractive opportunities to live, work and learn. Breuer hopes that this new center will be recognized not only as a place to live, but also as a cultural meeting place.

One challenge the mayor addressed is the impending fate of the main building. If vacant, it could become a “junk property,” which would be particularly problematic in a central location. In recent years, the city has already bought up land on the old district headquarters that previously belonged to several owners, including foreign funds.

In order to successfully implement the “Agora” project, the city is relying on financial support from the structural change fund, which was set up after the lignite phase-out. Mayor Breuer explained that Hürth has historically been severely affected by mining and the associated restrictions on its urban development. Over 50 percent of the city area was once excavated, which led to the underdevelopment of a central city center.

The city of Hürth has already received funding for the planning of the individual elements; the chances of further support are positive, as the funding rate is 90 percent. In May, the Berlin architectural firm Baupiloten was commissioned to create a usage concept that would form the basis for an urban development competition. A survey is carried out to determine the needs of potential users.

However, the implementation of the “Agora” project is expected to take several more years. According to Mayor Breuer, the first excavator could roll in 2028, although this still depends on various uncertain factors. An important point remains the decision as to whether the existing buildings should be completely demolished or some of them should continue to be used. This comprehensive urban development project could give the city of Hürth a much-needed boost and finally eliminate the unfinished character of the city center. For further details on the developments in Hürth and in particular the “Agora” project, please refer to the report referred to mobil.ksta.de.