Zurich: SBB frees up sites for urban development
Between 2017 and 2031, SBB will open up three centrally located areas in the city of Zurich that are no longer required for railroad operations. The Neugasse, Werkstadt and Hardfeld areas cover an area of around 140,000 square meters and are to be used for residential, logistics and commercial purposes in the future.
Zurich City Mayor Corine Mauch, City Councillor and Head of Building Construction André Odermatt, SBB CEO Andreas Meyer and Jürg Stöckli, Head of SBB Real Estate, presented the plans at a joint media conference on November 23. The industrial areas of Werkstadt and Hardfeld are to become workplace areas, with the aim of attracting industry and logistics. The Neugasse area is reserved for residential use.
The Werkstadt site is to become a "center for urban production, start-ups and creative industries", as announced by SBB and the City of Zurich. The first pioneering uses can take place from 2017, and the site is expected to be completely vacated in 2026. The transformation is to take place within the current basic zoning. The profile of the future user community will be developed from the beginning of 2017.
The Hardfeld site is currently home to waste disposal, logistics and storage areas, and between 2022 and 2031 there will be opportunities for change in stages. SBB and the city want to press ahead with the planning within the framework of the valid basic zoning and the structure plan. However, fundamental questions regarding the future potential of urban freight logistics at this location must first be clarified.
The Neugasse site is intended for residential use, with a third of the area reserved for non-profit housing. The planning basis for this is to be developed by 2018, with new development of the site planned from 2022. SBB and the City of Zurich have announced that the exact use of the new space will be specified in 2017 in a planning process with broad public participation.
The three sites cover around 140,000 square meters and are therefore almost twice the size of Europaallee. They are among the largest development areas in the city of Zurich and are characterized by their central location. SBB and third parties intend to invest a total of around CHF 1.8 billion in the development. (ah)
