Berne: Viererfeld quarter will cost the city almost 200 million
On the Viererfeld and the neighbouring Mittelfeld, the city of Bern wants to build a quarter with more than 1,100 apartments. The city council expects municipal investments of almost CHF 200 million.
In order to meet the shortage of living space in Bern, the city wants to develop the Viererfeld/Mittelfeld area in stages. The plan is to create an urban and ecological quarter with a total of around 1,140 apartments and a district park. The municipal council has passed the referendum bill for the transfer of the municipal land in building rights and for the credit increase to the city council. The referendum is scheduled for May 2022.
A credit of CHF 71.8 million was already approved in 2016, and this is now to be increased by CHF 124.6 million to a total of CHF 196.4 million. According to the municipal council, the money is needed for infrastructure and development measures so that the plots can be fully developed and handed over to the building leaseholders in a state ready for construction. According to the zoning plan, 50% of the chargeable living space in the Viererfeld and at least 50% in the Mittelfeld are reserved for non-profit housing construction for five years from the time of the tender to investors. The city keeps open the possibility of realising one or more projects itself under the conditions of non-profit housing.
The Capital City Cooperative, the pension fund of the Cantonal Bank of Berne, the staff pension fund of the City of Berne and Swiss Mobiliar Asset Management are set for the first stage. Cooperation with the Burgergemeinde is also planned for the first stage.
After the referendum, reservation agreements are to be concluded with the investors for the first stage, after which the project planning for the first construction stage will begin and, at a later date, the evaluation of the developers for the further construction stages. Construction work for the infrastructure on Viererfeld/Mittelfeld is expected to begin in 2025. The first residential buildings could be completed from 2026 and ready for occupation from 2028.
The City of Berne anticipates income from the annual building lease interest totalling 4.4 million. (ah)
