Renovated administrative building at the old REWAG headquarters: the restoration expenses remain undisclosed
In the heart of Regensburg, plans are underway to transform the old REWAG headquarters on Greflinger Street. The city, which purchased the 20,000 square meter area for 11.6 million euros, is considering a potential third town hall for the site.
However, the project is not without its challenges. Some of the rented buildings are in poor condition, and the city council did not discuss the contamination problem at the site before starting the renovation. The costs of soil contamination cleanup for the additional three buildings plus parking garage have yet to be determined.
The renovation of the old REWAG headquarters is currently estimated at 38.6 million euros. This initial phase, which includes the decontamination efforts required due to site pollution and subsequent construction, is a more cost-effective option compared to a demolition and new construction, which would cost 47.5 million euros. Renovating the old headquarters would save approximately 1,600 tons of CO2 compared to demolition and new construction.
Councilor Josef Zimmermann, a member of the CSU, questions what has changed since it was previously stated that the building was not salvageable. The CSU is skeptical but not opposed to the town hall plans, expressing concerns about the feasibility of the renovation and the potential costs.
The planned expansion phase includes a parking garage and three additional buildings with up to five floors, providing 735 workplaces for 900 employees. The estimated cost for this expansion phase, including potential contamination problems at the site, has not been determined.
The Bridge faction in the planning committee opposes the town hall plans and advocates for selling the plots to a private investor to build residential buildings instead. The Bridge faction's mayoral candidate, Thomas Thurow, finds the concept for the redevelopment of the old REWAG headquarters convincing but insists on a comprehensive plan for the three additional buildings.
Approximately 4,000 employees of the city of Regensburg work in rented spaces, accounting for around a quarter of the city's workforce. The annual costs for rented administrative spaces are nearly four million euros. The potential savings from the renovation and development of the old REWAG headquarters could significantly reduce these costs.
A new building would cause 2.4 times as much CO2 as a renovation, making the renovation a more environmentally friendly option. The renovation of the old REWAG headquarters would only be the first step in the planned redevelopment of the area, with the potential for further savings and environmental benefits in the future.
As the project moves forward, the city council will need to address the concerns and questions raised by councilors and factions, ensuring a comprehensive and sustainable solution for the future of Regensburg's administration.
The city council needs to address the concerns of Councilor Josef Zimmermann and the Bridge faction, who question the feasibility of the renovation of the old REWAG headquarters and propose alternative uses like selling the plots for real-estate development or residential buildings. Investing in renovating the old REWAG headquarters could potentially save the city's workforce significant annual finance costs for rented administrative spaces.
