By Sara Orlos Fernandes
A new quarter is to be created between Röblingstrasse and Attilastrasse. The residents fear chaos on the streets and devastating consequences for the Marienhöhe park.
The capital urgently needs much more and, above all, affordable housing – all parties agree on that. But in Tempelhof, a citizens’ initiative is fighting against the construction of a new residential area!
The building permit for the “Marienhöfe” project with almost 800 apartments is to be granted soon. A good 30 percent of them with WBS – the square meter for these apartments should cost 6.50 euros cold.
A new quarter with 765 apartments is planned on the 200,000 square meter site of the former Mariendorf goods station Photo: Collignon Architecture
Also planned in the new neighborhood are restaurants, a hotel, a medical center, offices and an eleven-storey craftsman’s house. A refugee shelter is also planned. All on the site of the former Marienfelde freight station, near the Attilastraße S-Bahn station. The investor must also create a day-care center and contribute to financing the school places.
But the “Citizens’ Initiative Marienhöhe” doesn’t like it – it opposes the project! The residents fear massive traffic chaos after completion, because 317 underground parking spaces are planned for the 765 apartments. 448 residential units remain without parking space – their tenants would therefore have to park in the surrounding streets, argues the citizens’ initiative. However, not every household in Berlin has its own car!
Another problem for the residents: An assessment of the current traffic volume took place in 2020 – during Corona times. Now there are significantly more cars on the road, complains the citizens’ initiative. There is a traffic jam on Röblingstraße every day. Two planned traffic lights in front of the access roads to the new quarter are unnecessary.
Dirk Tonn (57) is involved in the “Bürgerinitiative Marienhöhe”: “Of course I’m in favor of housing, but not to this extent” Photo: Olaf Selchow
“That’s five traffic lights for 400 meters of Attilastrasse. A large backlog will form and residents of the new quarter will use our settlement as a shortcut,” says Dirk Tonn (57) from the citizens’ initiative.
One solution would be separate turning lanes to the new neighborhood – but Attilastraße is to be given a cycle path and narrowed. Röblingstraße, on the other hand, cannot be widened.
The residents are also concerned about the neighboring Marienhöhe park. “The groundwater has to be lowered for the construction of the underground car park. Our Marienhöhe is in danger of drying out,” says Tonn.
In addition to apartments, restaurants, a hotel, a medical center, offices and an eleven-storey craftsman’s house are also to be built on the site Photo: Collignon Architecture
The development plan for the project was approved by the district assembly at the end of June. District Councilor Angelika Schöttler (59, SPD) is responsible for urban development. You to the BZ: “Currently, the final evaluation of the comments received and their consideration.”
The residents were involved in citizen participation in the development plan. Not all comments were answered by the district. Now they feel betrayed.
