Tax oasis deal: 157 million euros for Berlin refugee home!

Tax oasis deal: 157 million euros for Berlin refugee home!

in the tranquil Soorstrasse in the Westend district of Berlin, huge trouble is brewing. A huge office complex, once home of the state insurance institution, is the new bone of container for the residents. There is still peace here, but the plans of the Senate bring the neighborhood into turmoil. The plan: The office building is to become a mega refugee home in which more than 1,500 refugees are to be accommodated from 2026. For this, the Senate wants to loosen a whopping 157 million euros in rent. A sum that not everyone thinks is great! Millions have already been spent on the former hotel in Lichtenberg. The Berlin courier reports on the explosive developments and the outrage of the residents.

The concern among the residents is great. Crime headlines from the overcrowded Tegel Airport are still remembered, where crimes already increasing under conditions of the crowd were recorded. "It will be just as chaotic here," predicts an older lady while going for a walk with her dog. "We don't even have enough schools or daycare centers here!" She complains. It also showed at a heated residential assembly: Many are skeptical why the Senate does not use the gigantic sum better to distribute refugees to several locations.

sensational deal or scandal?

The negotiations on the project are in full swing. But the public discussion is fueled by a secret template of the Senate. In this document, the rental of the Soorstrasse office building is considered to ten years. However, the mysterious application situation leads to speculation that throws into the highest circles of Berlin's waves. The Berlin head of taxpayers, Alexander Kraus, raises his voice and warns of a threatening fiasco. He describes the planned rental costs as unacceptable compared to the landlord's expected services. Transparency looks different!

as if that weren't enough, not only the office buildings are rented, but also announced extensive renovation work. Cost: 29 million euros. Who pays? Of course the taxpayer! In the room there are questions about secret calculations and bloated real estate costs. According to a documented application, the economy of the project is apparently a blemish because there are no existing comparison properties.

an example of bad negotiations?

In the past, high sums have been invested in the rental of outdated real estate in Berlin. The case of the hotel high-rise buildings on Landsberger Allee is just one example. Here around 143 million euros were rented to ten years, while real estate companies in tax havens are deleted, as well as a source on Facebook reported. Such practices are suspected that the Senate is not particularly successful in rental negotiations. In times of strict austerity measures, the proposal appears like a farce. Was there be a blush here to promote hidden interests?

On December 11th, it should be finally decided whether the office building will meet the planned purpose. But the pressure from the population is growing. It only remains to be seen whether those responsible face this challenge or whether rental sharks will continue to keep the upper hand.