From Hildburg Bruns
It’s going up! The construction elevator on Modersohnstrasse (Friedrichshain) floated up on Thursday with governor Franziska Giffey (44, SPD). However, the pace of new construction completions is jerky. And there are also problems with the building permits – decline of 9.5 percent in the first half of the year!
“That worries me. We have been complaining about the decline since 2016. Everything that is not approved cannot be built,” criticizes Maren Kern (64), head of the Berlin-Brandenburg Housing Association (BBU).
Berlin’s urban societies have these goals for 2022/23:
► Laying of the foundation stone for 15,988 rental apartments
► Completion of 12,122 rental apartments.
All in all, 35,000 additional city apartments are planned in the current five years of government, with 50 percent having to be offered at social rents (current stock: 340,000). Including private ones, 100,000 new apartments are targeted.
But it is precisely these builders who are currently hesitant because of the rapidly increasing construction costs (+ 17 percent) and interest rates that have tripled!
Building Senator Andreas Geisel (56, SPD) wants to turn the funding screw in view of inflation and construction costs.
At the end of the month he will propose an increase in social rents by one euro from 6.50 to 7.50 euros in the main committee of parliament.
“We think that’s socially acceptable,” said Geisel to the BZ. However, the higher payments for the tenants would only be due in four years, when the newly funded projects are up and running.
During Thursday’s new construction tour, Geisel wanted to prove that building cheaply doesn’t come at the expense of quality. At least the companies come up with something:
► Gewobag saves three out of seven expensive elevators on Arcostrasse by connecting the buildings with footbridges. For the little ones there is a slide from the first floor to the playground as an attraction.
Arcostraße 9 (Charlotteburg: Gewobag is building 111 apartments near the Spree. The highlight: connecting bridges between the buildings, which saves elevator costs Photo: Ralf Guenther
On Mühlenstraße, Gesobau offers a co-working space (180 euros/month) and a home office space on each floor. In addition, families can rent two apartments – also for the older generation.
Mühlenstraße 24 (Pankow): Gesobau has many communal offers for the 107 apartments: 14 m² rooms for the home office, common room with kitchen, garden for tenants Photo: Ralf Guenther
WBM tore down an old washhouse on Modersohnstrasse and added on to their old buildings. Residents were able to follow the plans in 3D on an app.
Modersohnstraße 72 (Friedrichshain): WBM used the space by building three houses with 110 apartments on existing buildings Photo: Ralf Guenther
By the end of the year, Howoge will be building a car-free district with at least 612 apartments on Karl-Ziegler-Strasse – the tram stops nearby.
Karl-Ziegler-Strasse (Adlershof): Howoge will complete 612 apartments by the end of the year, including 107 furnished micro-apartments for students (25 m²), all-inclusive for 450 euros Photo: Ralf Guenther
Giffey was satisfied with her outlook on the projects: “Despite all the difficulties – construction is going on in Berlin.”