It's about millions: fighting for the Rischart house

Created: 08/10/2022, 19:01

By: Bettina Ulrichs, Nadja Hoffmann

Huge area: On the Rischart-Grund there are several farm buildings © Schlaf on 3100 square meters

Luxury apartments or affordable housing?

It is still unclear what will soon be built at Buttermelcherstraße 16.

There, the Risart bakery sells its previous headquarters.

The city is a bidder.

More than 100 affordable apartments in the middle of the Gärtnerplatzviertel: if the factions in the city council have their way, they should be built at Buttermelcherstraße 16.

Where the Risart bakery has been based up to now.

The traditional company is building a new bakery on Theresienhöhe.

That is why the extensive area on Buttermelcherstraße is for sale.

The question now is whether the city will be awarded the contract.

Or whether Rischart prefers money - that is, an investor who pays the maximum price.

In 2019, a purchase deal had already fallen through

The fear: Then even more luxury apartments would be built, which would contribute to gentrification and endanger the status of the district as a conservation statute area.

"It is important to ensure affordable housing in the district," emphasizes Christian Müller, leader of the SPD parliamentary group.

And speaks to the coalition partner of the Greens from the heart.

"The majority in the city council is in favor of the city buying the land," agrees Sibylle Stöhr.

A project that is special for two reasons.

Reason one: Rischart has not only been planning the sale since yesterday.

The city could have had the 3100 square meter area as early as 2019.

79 million euros were too expensive for the SPD/CSU parliamentary group.

"It wasn't a bargain back then," explains Müller.

Nevertheless, the Social Democrats would now probably agree to a purchase.

speaks for

that there is already a preliminary building decision for the site and 125 apartments.

And: The neighboring building is already in the hands of the city.

Why didn't an exchange take place?

Reason two: In 2017, two years before the purchase failed, the town hall and Rischart came to an agreement elsewhere: on the corner of Theresienhöhe and Hans-Fischer-Straße, where the new bakery will be built on 5400 square meters by 2024.

Back then, better negotiations would have been possible, says Left Party leader Stefan Jagel.

The city could have offered a kind of land exchange with a view of Buttermelcherstrasse.

"That would not have been legally possible," says Müller.

Jagel's opinion: "Bullshit".

After the land deal in 2017 on Theresienhöhe, Jagel Rischart now sees it as "a responsibility" to offer the city the land on Buttermelcherstrasse again.

At the beginning of July, the left submitted an application to start the purchase negotiations.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung had previously reported on the subject.

As the municipal department confirms, talks are already taking place.

There is no more information: "All interested parties had to make a binding commitment to strict confidentiality."

In the event that an agreement is not reached again, the second motion by the left is already ready.

For a sectoral development plan.

With this instrument it could be determined that private investors do not have a free hand.

Then up to 60 percent of the new apartments on Buttermelcherstrasse would also have to be affordable.