Demolition of the ghost house: new apartments for Lauensteinstrasse!

Demolition of the ghost house: new apartments for Lauensteinstrasse!

There are changes in Cologne: On Lauensteinstrasse, the owner plans to demolish the so -called "ghost house". Loud Lueneburg Current was submitted to a preliminary building request for a new building with eleven energy -efficient and barrier -low apartments. These units should be between 55 and 75 m². The city administration is currently in the examination of the plans, especially with regard to the possibility of realizing an additional floor. However, the existing development plan is a hurdle here.

In the neighborhood, the plans ensure a frown. The residents express concerns about possible shocks because the area is known as a reduction area. A speed limit of 20 km/h has been introduced and trucks are prohibited in the street area to minimize the shocks. The owner, a real estate entrepreneur from Adendorf, originally had the plan to renovate and convert the old building, but ultimately this idea was rejected as economically intolerable.

Difficult framework conditions

The situation around the "ghost house" is not exactly rosy: the substance of the house is heavily attacked due to reduction and fire damage. A renovation would cause immense costs, especially since the renewal of the floor slab and the removal of the outer walls would also be necessary. The new building could bring about a change of perspective: it could get by with lower ceiling heights and better use the entire property area.

The existing protection regulation of the neighboring building could be a positive sign. This could be used as a starting point for an exemption for an additional floor. The city is currently examining the possibilities and has already issued a requirement that vibration -free construction is expected with regard to the reduction problem.

An uncomfortable neighbor

The condition of the "ghost house" is not only concerned with construction: residents report homeless people who have been in the building and vandalism. Again and again there were incidents in which uninvited guests placed candles in the house, which led to fire damage. In order to prevent unauthorized access, the city has secured the building with OSB panels. However, official measures to enforce the building law are not possible due to the lack of monument protection.

Overall, these developments show how challenging urban building policy is and that there is still a lot of work in front of the city administration and the property owners. We remain excited about how the "ghost house" will continue - because it is clear that there is a path full of challenges and opportunities.

For more information about demolition and new construction, we recommend a look at Schwoererhaus.