Zurich launches investor competition for Hardturm site

According to a statement from the city of Zurich, the investor sought must provide a business plan (incl. building lease interest to be paid) as well as project ideas for three sub-projects: Football stadium for 18,000 spectators as a new venue for the two Zurich city clubs FCZ and GCZ, the non-profit housing development approved by the voters or an adequate replacement, and an investor project. One or more high-rise buildings are conceivable in the investor project.

With the investor project, the bidder has the opportunity to generate the necessary return for the entire site, according to the media release.

"The city of Zurich is granting the investor a long-term building right on this attractive and urbanistically significant site. In return, we are looking for an investor who will plan, construct and finance the buildings for his own account and at his own risk," says Daniel Leupi ,Head of the Finance Department.

After the voters' "no" to a new, city-financed soccer stadium on the Hardturm site, the city council decided in November last year to put the entire site out to tender for an investor competition. The city itself is not planning a new soccer stadium. However, it is prepared to pave the way for private investors to develop projects with majority support, Leupi said.

The investor competition will be carried out in a selective procedure. After the prequalification, a maximum of six bidding teams will be determined to develop the projects in a non-anonymous procedure. The deadline for pre-qualification is November 6, 2015. The judging for the bidding teams determined after pre-qualification will take place in June 2016. The investor competition program has been available online at www.simap.ch since September 25, 2015. (ah)