The inventory for the Galeria department store on Berlin’s Alexanderplatz is secured for another few months. As the owner of the location, the company Commerz Real, and Galeria announced, the two sides have agreed to extend the so-called usage agreement until the end of March 2027. Around 350 employees work at the location. Until now, usage was agreed until August of this year. The “Tagesspiegel” initially reported on the agreement.
The agreement now gives the Berlin Senate more time to develop a long-term solution for the location with Commerz Real, which should also include Galeria. The three sides have been fighting for months over the future of the department store in the building on Alexanderplatz.
Is the state library moving in?
Commerz Real is aiming for mixed use and, among other things, would like the Central and State Library (ZLB) to move in. The Senate is open to this option, but so far an agreement has reportedly failed due to the rent level.
A new location has been sought for years for the central and state library, which is currently in two locations on Blücherplatz and Breite Straße, and is in urgent need of renovation. In addition to the department store on Alexanderplatz, there has also been discussion about moving into the former Lafayette building on Friedrichstrasse. The then Senator for Culture Joe Chialo (CDU) campaigned for this. This idea also failed, not least for cost reasons.
“We are working intensively to develop an economically viable perspective for the Berlin Alexanderplatz location beyond March 31, 2027. The prerequisite for this is realistic framework conditions that enable long-term operation,” said Tilo Hellenbock, Managing Director of Galeria, according to a statement. Commerz Real announced that the rent will remain at the current rate for the duration of the usage agreement. At the same time, Commerz Real appealed to the owners of Galeria to fulfill their operating responsibilities more closely than before, for example with maintenance and urgently needed renovations.
