Bern: Project in Ausserholligen Clears Major Hurdle
A neighborhood development project featuring 200 apartments and 1,000 jobs received overwhelming support at the polls.
Voters in the city of Bern have approved the zoning plan for the EWB/BLS site in Ausserholligen. With nearly 80% of the vote in favor, the proposal was approved, and the commitment credit for the acquisition of the Monbijou site from Energie Wasser Bern (EWB) received approximately 74% % «yes» votes. This lays the groundwork for a new neighborhood center with over 200 cooperative apartments and more than 1,000 jobs, including EWB’s new headquarters. “Today’s ‘yes’ vote enables the creation of an open, urban, and mixed-use part of the city and further advances the important urban development area of Ausserholligen,” says Mayor Marieke Kruit. The plan calls for four high-rise buildings designed to serve as urban landmarks. In addition, unlike today, the entire site will be open to the public.
The commitment credit intended to finance the purchase of EWB’s current properties amounts to approximately CHF 63 million. The properties are located on Monbijou Street and Sulgeneck Street. The purchase will take place as soon as EWB has relocated its headquarters to the «Ausserholligen VI» site. «With EWB’s move to Ausserholligen, the centrally located Monbijou site offers development opportunities for the city,» says City Councilor Melanie Mettler, Director of Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology.
