Demolition or renovation? The future of the Kaufhof remains controversial!

Demolition or renovation? The future of the Kaufhof remains controversial!

A current feasibility study is causing a stir in Bremen's city center: the final report recommends demolishing the former Kaufhof building, which is considered the largest building in the city. Building Senator Özlem Ünsal (SPD) had already indicated in June that demolition could be an option. The next step is the political consultation of the results in order to develop a draft resolution, which is to be presented within the coming weeks. The aim of these efforts is to achieve the best possible result for the city center. While the government coalition made up of the SPD and the Left agrees to the demolition, the CDU in the opposition is also positioning itself in favor of this measure. The Greens, however, see the matter differently and advocate for partial preservation of the property, as Weser-Kurier reports.

Bithja Menzel, the Green Party's construction policy spokeswoman, is critical of the study's test criteria. She favors a conversion option that includes new facades and innovative uses. The discussion about the future of the location is entering the next round, and the city administration will intensively examine the upcoming options.

Costs and options: Expensive fun

The feasibility study examines a total of four possible uses for the building. A complete demolition and subsequent new construction would cost over 165 million euros and could take up to seven years. This variant also has the worst CO2 balance. A less expensive option, consisting of partial demolition combined with new construction, would cost around 115 million euros. This variant provides for an atrium as well as one or two additional floors and a new facade. There is also the option of converting the department store or making no changes at all, as Buten un Binnen explains in detail.

There is currently no final decision from the city administration about the structure. Aygün Kilincsoy, spokesman for the construction department, emphasizes that the costs need to be recalculated as only preliminary estimates are currently available. Interestingly, the property was only taken over last year by the newly founded Brestadt for over 37 million euros, which could improve the conditions for the future development of the site.

Looking for future-oriented solutions

The aim of feasibility studies is often to develop the identity of planned projects and to create a basis for decision-making that maximizes the value and interest in the properties. Against this background, it is important to demonstrate a good hand when deciding on the future of the former Kaufhof. The current discussions are of great importance for urban development and show how crucial it is to set the right course.