Audit of the Kaufhof headquarters: Enormous costs and political concerns!

Audit of the Kaufhof headquarters: Enormous costs and political concerns!

The city of Cologne's decision to rent the former Kaufhof headquarters in the city center is currently causing a lot of discussion. The lease, which initially seemed promising as a large project, is now officially under scrutiny by the city's Audit Office (RPA). This happened at the urging of the Greens, SPD, Left and Volt factions, who expressed concerns that the procedures may not have been correct and that political bodies were not sufficiently informed. The reports on this Review online.

The review should be completed by the last city council meeting before the local elections on September 4th. Ralf Unna, Green councilor, has even thought about possibly voting out the head of the building department, Markus Greitemann, if it turns out that he may have lied to the council. CDU parliamentary group leader Bernd Petelkau, on the other hand, sees this demand more as an election campaign maneuver.

A rental agreement without a clear plan

In the meantime, the city of Cologne has already signed a rental agreement with the landlord Swiss Life, which covers around 40,000 square meters of office space for 25 years. What may come as a surprise is that the use of the building was not determined before the contract was signed. Workshops on user planning only took place after the signing, which casts doubt on much of the city's policy. The notes on this Cologne City Gazette that it is common practice in the private sector to clarify such points in advance.

Another problem appears to be cost control. The city of Cologne has no certainty about the renovation costs, which are estimated at around 120 million euros. This unclear financing structure leads to confusion and causes irritation in politics. The rental agreement originally included a budget of just 27 million euros for the renovation. The SPD speaks of many inconsistencies that raise fundamental questions about planning and cost structure.

In the focus of criticism

The stability of the council majority, which consists of the Union, the Greens and Volt, could be jeopardized by the tests. Christiane Martin, the leader of the Green Party, is calling for full disclosure of all facts about the rental, while Markus Greitemann remains calm and is convinced that the audit will confirm his decisions.

Another example of chaotic planning is the originally planned interim fire station, which was to be housed in the Kaufhof headquarters. However, the plan was scrapped and the cost of building it at another location has now risen to 26.5 million euros. Previously, costs for the fire department had been increased from 19.7 million euros to 35 million euros, making the already complex scenario even more confusing.

With these developments, it is clear that Cologne residents still have some decisions to make, and the upcoming review could have decisive consequences for urban politics and planning security in the metropolis.