Neighborhood in the turmoil: Martin Ho Plans New Club on Mariahilfer Straße

<P> <strong> Neighborhood in the turmoil: Martin Ho Plans New Club on Mariahilfer Straße </strong> </p>

A conflict on the busy Mariahilfer Straße in Vienna increasingly attracts attention. At the center of this argument is the Dots group of Martin Ho, which plans to open a new club, the Cici, at the address Mahü 36. However, the project met with massive resistance on the part of the residents and the district manager Markus Reiter, which led to a cancellation of the opening ceremony already scheduled.

On Thursday, October 28th, the Dots Group announced on social media that the planned Halloween party could not take place. In her message it was explicitly mentioned that the delays are influenced by the decisions of the district manager. Despite the central location, the address for the company was not yet successful.

background of the dispute

The Dots Group already opened the Hidden Club in the same place in autumn 2021. Ultimately, this had to close due to approval problems. After a general permit, the club had operated on a former drugstore, which led to a conflict with the residents who complained about noise. The constitutional court decided that the interests of the neighbors were not sufficiently preserved and declared the approval invalid.

For the new approval of the CICI club, the residents had to be included in the procedure. District head Markus Reiter took this opportunity to request a thorough examination of the economic performance of the DOTS group, especially with regard to earlier bankruptcy cases of companies that had operated HO. "I want to keep damage from the general public," said Reiter. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the approval can actually be stopped by him or other places.

Eva Schantl-Wurz, the head of the responsible magistratic district office, explained that the approval is checked on the basis of existing regulations and that the company had to provide guarantees for reduced noise pollution. The trustworthiness of the operators could not be decided because this was not part of the procedure. This leads to a critical question: Is the ability of the Dots group to maintain a smooth club operation, of importance or not?

The club operators have allegations that the delays are due to personal and political motivations of the district leader. "We have met all the necessary requirements," says the Dots Group. However, Reiter counters that it is its area of responsibility to represent the interests of the residents and holds on to its point of view.

While the situation is getting worse, it remains to be seen how the district office will decide. The complexity of the case and the various perspectives of those involved show that there will probably be further disputes before a final decision can be made. A comprehensive overview of the situation provides www.falter.at .