Renovated government building at the old REWAG premises: expenditure for restoration undetermined
Regensburg City Hall Expansion Plans Under Scrutiny
The city of Regensburg is planning to create a third city hall at the former REWAG headquarters in Greflingerstraße, but the proposal is facing opposition and questions from city councilors.
The projected cost for the final expansion stage of the REWAG headquarters renovation is approximately 82 million euros, including soil remediation and the construction of three additional buildings plus a parking garage. This is according to the latest estimates, but the costs have not been specified in full.
The city of Regensburg purchased the 20,000 square meter area for 11.6 million euros, but the costs of soil remediation during the expansion stage have not been considered in the initial purchase price. The renovation of the old REWAG headquarters is currently estimated at 38.6 million euros.
The expansion stage would provide 735 workplaces, shared by 900 employees. However, the Bridge faction in the planning committee opposes the town hall plans and advocates for selling the plots to a private investor for residential housing.
Councilor Josef Zimmermann, a former member of REWAG's supervisory board, has expressed skepticism about the plans, questioning what has changed since his time in that role. He is not alone in his concerns, as some city employees work in rented buildings that are in a poor condition, costing approximately 3.8 million euros annually.
Around 4,000 employees work for the city of Regensburg, and around 24,500 square meters of properties have been rented for them. The city has repeatedly carried out structural improvements at its own expense in Johann-Hösl-Straße, where the registration office and the public order office are located.
One potential advantage of the renovation over a demolition and new construction is the environmental impact. Renovation would save a total of 1,600 tons of CO2 compared to demolition and new construction. A new building would cause 2.4 times as much CO2 as a renovation.
However, there has been no discussion yet about the contamination problem at the site, which involves harmful production residues from the former gas plant. This issue remains a concern for those who are questioning the expansion plans.
As the city council considers the future of the REWAG headquarters, the debate is sure to continue, with councilors weighing the costs, benefits, and potential risks of the proposed expansion.
The Regensburg city councilors are faced with the challenge of deciding whether to invest in the expansion of the city hall, which involves the renovation of the former REWAG headquarters, given the projected cost of around 82 million euros and the contamination issue that needs addressing.
Councilor Josef Zimmermann, being a former member of REWAG's supervisory board, questions the need for this real-estate investment in the city hall, as he is concerned about whether the financial benefits justify the costs, especially considering the option of selling the plot for residential housing or other investing avenues in the realm of real-estate.
