A decision by the people of Munich about the high-rise plans for the parcel post hall “preferably this summer” and a clear no to a fundamental architecture competition: Investor Ralf Büschl is trying to put the city in the debate about the construction project in a tight spot . “We’re sticking to it: A quick referendum on our planning for the parcel post hall creates clarity for everyone,” says Büschl, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Büschl Group from Grünwald, in response to a city council debate on the subject. “That’s why we want the city council to clear the way for this very quickly with a council request.”
At the meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday, there was a majority in favor of a vote, because the CSU is now also tending to do so. However, in politics there is only talk of holding the vote this year, probably in the fall.
That would be Büschl too slow. “We often complain that procedures in our country take forever,” he says. “I would remind you that three years ago we presented our plans for the development of the parcel post area.” They found the approval of the administration and urban design commission, the city council started the approval process based on the urban planning concept of the architects Herzog/de Meuron from Basel, which envisages two 155 meter towers. Most recently, the city “spent almost a year preparing a complex citizen report,” Büschl continues. “We now want to know whether our overall concept for the quarter can be implemented or not.”
A quick vote may take the wind out of the sails of high-rise opponents
A vote in the summer could have the advantage for Büschl that it takes the wind out of the sails of the referendum announced by high-rise opponents, since the collection of signatures is not scheduled to begin until April. He also emphasizes that it should only revolve around the parcel post project – this contradicts the plans of the Greens and the CSU in the city council, who want to use a council request to clarify in principle how the population thinks about high-rise buildings at all.
As is well known, Büschl has already threatened to withdraw from the procedure and to erect large commercial buildings along Wilhelm-Hale-Straße in accordance with previous building regulations – which would mean that the 1,100 apartments planned so far would be eliminated, as would the opening and public use of the listed parcel post hall for cultural and sporting purposes. Büschl does not respond to the question of whether there would be a point in time when he would withdraw from the previous proceedings. So he avoids an ultimatum to the city.
At best, the investor sees competition on the basis of his master plan
The second possible point of conflict is a possible architectural competition. Christian Müller, leader of the SPD/Volt faction, said in the committee on Wednesday that a competition was “worth a debate” and confirmed when asked that it could be about more than just the design of the high-rise facades.
A fundamental urban planning competition, which according to many voices from politics and experts would have been mandatory for a project of this dimension, is no longer an option for Büschl: That would mean “back to the start”, he says. “The city could have decided that three years ago. It’s not an option for us today.” However, Büschl offers that “individual buildings of the so-called carpet development”, i.e. the complexes at the foot of the high-rise buildings primarily intended for living, “but also facades, will be subjected to a competition based on our master plan”.