From Hildburg Bruns
When times were good, he came to Berlin once a week and landed in Schönefeld in his private jet. He drove to the Signa office in the white Upper West Tower next to the Memorial Church, where his real estate professionals are based.
KaDeWe billionaire René Benko (46) will no longer be coming and had to resign yesterday. Beards, Hermès belts and a gold Patek Philippe with an alligator bracelet (around 56,000 euros) – that was the external impression when the Signa boss appeared in a large IHK group.
The Austrian wanted to leave his mark on City-West in particular. At the end of October you could still hear hammering and flexing, but residents reported to BZ that there were fewer construction workers. Now everything is at a standstill because the companies have no longer received any money.
Standstill on Nürnberger Straße. The Femina Palace, among other things, was supposed to make a comeback as an event location in the former Hotel Ellington Photo: Hildburg Bruns
Especially in the area around KaDeWe. On Passauer Straße, a shell building fills the gap in the former department store parking garage. In any case, only the gutting of the former Hotel Ellington was underway on the parallel Nürnberger Straße.
The Leiser property on Tauentzien was also taken over. There are only pretty graphics of the future – a pop-up store sells shoes.
Will this dream of the future burst? On Kurfürstendamm, the former Wertheim department store (built 1969-71) was to be demolished and replaced by two towers and a panoramic garden Photo: Signa
And the three large Karstadt department store locations on Kurfürstendamm, on Hermannplatz, in Wedding on Müllerstrasse? The properties should be at least partially cleared and fitted with high-rise buildings. It is said that the plans will be pursued with the handbrake on.
How it goes on?
This is decided by consultants and, above all, the top German renovator Arndt Geiwitz (54), whose biggest case was the downfall of Schlecker.
Benko on his withdrawal: “In the current situation, this is the best solution for the company, its partners, investors and employees. It’s important to restore trust.”