Zurich: Many ideas for car park area
There are many ideas for the use of the parking lot site in Zurich: Mobimo proposes a convention center, a motion from the city council wants to locate residential and commercial space. The municipal council is to decide.
According to the city of Zürch, the municipal council is to decide how the Carparklatz will be used in the medium to long term. In the meantime, the existing infrastructure is to be renewed.
From the city's point of view, the area of the parking lot has potential for different uses. Various interest groups have developed ideas and project proposals. The city council has received a business plan from the real estate developer Mobimo for a congress center and a motion from the municipal council for affordable and neighborhood-compatible residential and commercial space.
For the present ideas for use of the parking lot site, a design plan would be required as a basis, which would have to be decided by the municipal council. In the view of the City Council, the municipal council should discuss the future options for the current parking lot at an early stage. This will show the political interests and majority relationships to the various ideas for use, writes the city in a statement.
Mobimo plans for parking lot: city will not contribute financially
The City Council has therefore requested the Municipal Council to change the motion on the car parking area into a less binding postulate. The City Council will submit the reasons for the motion to the Municipal Council by the beginning of April 2017 at the latest.
To the Mobimo's plans from November the City Council noted three points: The building lease rate for the site must be in line with the market, he said. The existing parking spaces must be fully integrated into the new convention center as part of the historic parking compromise. And an award of the site for a private project should be based on a tender.
The background to this is the City Council's decision in 2013 to focus on the repair and conversion of the Kongresshaus and thus not to become involved in the construction and operation of a new congress center. The city will not commit to such a project through a reduced building lease rate or upfront contributions, the council clarifies. "A waiver of revenue and a financial or personnel commitment in the planning process would constitute a subsidy for the new convention center," it says.
Meanwhile, the city of Zurich assumes that the area will be used as a parking lot for the next ten years. For this period, a protected waiting area for passengers, a kiosk, WC facilities (ZüriWC) and ticket sales points are to be installed or renewed. The aim is to carry out the renovation work from fall 2017 to the end of 2018.
