New Aldi branch in Landau: Grand opening and student apartments!

New Aldi branch in Landau: Grand opening and student apartments!

Something exciting is happening in Landau in der Pfalz: Next Thursday, July 24th, the new Aldi branch will open on Annweilerstrasse. This also ends the era of the temporary branch on Weißenburgerstrasse, which will open its doors for the last time on Saturday, July 19th. This temporary branch was operated during the construction work on the new Aldi building, which has now been completely rebuilt after the old one was demolished around two years ago.

At the top of the new market there are several floors that provide space for student apartments. This innovative project was realized in partnership with the Vorderpfalz Student Union. The combination of retail and living space is a contemporary approach to meet the needs of the city and its students, as the situation for students in Landau currently looks rather bleak.

New living space for students

As the Speyer Kurier reports, a new dormitory with a total of 199 places will be built at Annweilerstrasse 17, consisting of 176 individual apartments and 10 shared apartments. The creation of these modern housing options is an important step in addressing the ongoing housing crisis for students in the region. Currently only around 5.6% of students have access to dormitory places, while the national average is around 10% and even 15% is required nationwide.

The construction project to create this living space is part of a larger initiative called “Living above retail”. At a groundbreaking ceremony that took place on November 24, 2024, important personalities from politics and business were presented, including Christof Hake, Managing Director Real Estate at Aldi Süd and Dominik Geißler, Mayor of the city of Landau. These new housing options not only offer affordable living space, but also a central location in the middle of the city, close to the university.

Women's quota and housing situation

The living situation for students and trainees is generally perceived as tense - not only in Landau, but in many German cities and university cities. According to a research project, it is being observed that prices for new contract rentals are increasing, which is putting an enormous strain on the housing market. Corona led to a short-term relaxation, but the situation has now worsened again. Young people in particular are faced with the challenge of finding affordable housing because they often only have limited financial resources.

Over the past two decades, the supply of residential care has not kept pace with increasing demand. The combination of increasing student numbers and inadequate living space makes the situation all the more precarious. The project on Annweilerstrasse could therefore provide much-needed relief for students in Landau and at the same time improve the quality of local supplies through the new food offerings in the Aldi branch.

Overall, Landau is facing noticeable changes that could both strengthen local retail and significantly improve the quality of life for students.

For those who would like to find out more about the new building project and the opening of the new Aldi branch, here are the interesting links: Rheinpfalz, Speyer Kurier, BBSR.