Zurich: Green light for "ZSC Lions Arena

Since April 14, the private design plan "ZSC Lions Arena" and the partial revision of the Zoning Ordinance "Untere Isleren" have been open to the public. This creates the legal planning conditions for the realization of the ZSC Lions ice hockey and sports arena in Zurich Altstetten.

The ZSC Lions are planning a new ice hockey and sports arena in Zurich Altstetten, at the "Untere Isleren" site between the freeway and the track area. The project by Caruso St John Architects emerged as the winner from a competition in 2012, but was subsequently revised - after an initially planned combination with a volleyball arena could not be pursued. In September 2016, the Zurich electorate then approved the city's financial participation in the arena in the form of a building lease, an interest-bearing and repayable loan for the construction costs, and an annual contribution to operating costs. This means that the legal planning basis for the arena can now be created by means of a private design plan and a parallel zoning change.

This is because the realization of the planned ice hockey and sports arena is not possible with the current zoning. The area currently zoned as recreation zone E3 will be assigned to the zone for public buildings with the intended partial revision of the BZO. A private design plan is also required due to the planned building height and the usage provisions to be made in accordance with the building lease agreement. In the private design plan "ZSC Lions Arena", specifications are made in particular with regard to the building and use regulations, the development and environmental aspects. A formal environmental impact assessment will also be carried out as part of the design plan procedure.

The BZO partial revision "Untere Isleren" and the private design plan "ZSC Lions Arena" are still open to the public until June 14, 2017.