Bern: New use for old fire department barracks
The site of the old fire department barracks in Bern is to be put to new use. To this end, the Alte Feuerwehr Viktoria association and the Central housing cooperative want to found a cooperative. They also want to get investors on board.
Originally, the entire area of the old fire department barracks on Viktoriastrasse was to be handed over in building rights after a competition for planners and investors had been held. However, this development has been delayed, and now the Alte Feuerwehr Viktoria association and the Central housing cooperative are showing interest in developing the site together with investors. The Bern City Council says it is prepared to consider the association's proposal. To this end, Immobilien Stadt Bern is now to conduct negotiations with the association and the cooperative about a sale in building rights.
The new sponsor wants to take over the entire site from the city in building rights, finance the renovation of the existing building and construct a possible new building. The municipal council has defined various requirements, including the selection of the investor, the economic viability and the municipal uses. For example, the planned day school must be integrated into the concept, the council says. It is hoped that the current temporary use of the fire department barracks will be converted to a permanent use and that new, affordable living space will be created.
There is currently a temporary asylum shelter on the site, and the building of the former fire department barracks is home to various non-profit and commercial interim uses. The Alte Feuerwehr Viktoria association coordinates these interim uses and is considered to be well anchored in the neighborhood.
