Bonn-Center Replacement building may be 100 metres tall
Bonn · The Bonn-Center, which has been gutted and should be completely demolished in a few weeks, has 18 storeys. The General Anzeiger has learned that the new building on the same site could have up to 28 storeys.
At any rate, the city administration wants to give the investor the option in the development plan of building significantly higher than was previously planned. The talk is of a high rise of 101.5 metres. By comparison, the current Bonn-Center measures around 60 metres.
The Town Hall said the investor, the Cologne-based Art Invest, had approached Bonn before the summer break to sound out whether it would be possible build higher. Up to now, the plan was always to build a high rise of around 80 metres with up to 18 storeys, surrounded by three lower buildings of six storeys each.
“The development plan should not specify the number of storeys, but rather the maximum height of the building,” explained city spokeswoman Monika Hörig when questioned by the General Anzeiger. A maximum height of 101.5 metres is planned, which would amount to 28 storeys. The high rise would be the tallest building on Reuterstraße.
Politicians are supportive of the highrise. Hartwig Lohmeyer from the Greens and a member of the Jamaica coalition said that while the topic still had to be thoroughly debated within the party and without wanting to pre-judge the outcome, he would find it both acceptable and economically sensible if the high rise were to have more storeys than previously planned.
Werner Hümmrich from the FDP agrees. “There has always been the idea that besides the Langer Eugen and the Posttower, the city of Bonn would benefit from a further high rise at this location.”
The company itself said via a spokesman that it only wanted the option to build higher than planned left open. “The most likely option is a high rise lower than the maximum height rules. How many storeys it will be is still completely open. A variation under 18 storeys is definitely possible.” Ultimately the number of storeys will depend on which tenants they can get for the office complex. There are no definite plans.
He did not confirm General Anzeiger information that Art Invest was negotiating with the Postbank as a potential tenant. The Postbank would also not comment.
Residents of the Bonn-Center, who did not want to be named, reported to the General Anzeiger that representatives from Art Invest had already approached them with concrete plans. These include a three storey underground carpark, whose size would indicate that a significantly taller high rise is being planned. “We have met residents to get to know them better and above all to tell them about the project before works start,” responded the Art Invest spokesman.
The Bonn-Center was opened in 1969 and was one of the prime addresses in Bonn for a long time. The Steigenberger Hotel occupied the top floors for many years. Aristotle Onassis was among the celebrities who stayed there. The Steinberger Hotel moved out in 1988 and the rooms were changed into offices. Deutsche Post moved in and then moved out five years ago. Since then it has been increasingly empty. Art Invest bought the complex in 2014.
(Orig. text: Lisa Inhoffen, Rolf Kleinfeld; translated by Kate Carey)
