Zurich: City Moves Forward with Planning for the Harsplen Project
The project acquired by Swisscanto is to be carried out with a smaller underground parking garage and more rooms than originally planned.
Planning for the Harsplen housing development in Zurich-Witikon is moving forward. The City Council has increased the project planning budget and is requesting that the Municipal Council approve the funds for the construction project to be put to a public vote. The plan is to build 367 affordable apartments for approximately 875 people.
In the spring of 2024, the City of Zurich acquired the 30,000-square-meter site, along with the corresponding construction project, from Swisscanto. Eight multi-story buildings, spacious plazas and courtyards, as well as open spaces for socializing and play, are set to define the future residential development. The development will be complemented by a three-unit kindergarten offering childcare services. «During the revision, the qualities of the acquired project were preserved, and the project was further developed as an urban residential complex,» the city writes. As a result, the number of rooms was increased, the underground parking garage was downsized, and the range of commercial spaces was streamlined.
For the first municipal housing development in Witikon, the City Council is requesting one-time expenditures of 425.7 million CHF—consisting of acquisition costs of 208.7 million CHF and construction costs of 217.0 million CHF. If the municipal council approves the proposal, voters will decide on the matter in June 2027.
