Zurich: City plans housing estate with 369 new apartments

The municipal housing estate Leutschenbach is to be built on three parcels of land in its ownership to the west and east of the Riedbach. In 2015, the project "Souq" by Andreas Feurer Architekten (today: Clou Architekten AG) emerged as the winner from a competition. The plans for the development include 349 apartments, nine large apartments, eleven residential studios and 41 rentable rooms. According to the city of Zurich, almost half of the apartments will be 4- and 4.5-room units. Around 30 percent of the apartments will be subsidized.

In addition, 13 rooms for commercial and service businesses are planned for the first floors of the two structures; an inner courtyard building will house four kindergartens with childcare facilities. The project also includes an underground garage with 149 parking spaces for cars and 19 spaces for motorcycles, as well as photovoltaic systems on the roof surfaces for the tenants' own consumption.

For the project, the city council is requesting the municipal council to submit a project credit of CHF 213.2 million to the voters. Of this, 175.1 million is earmarked for the residential development including commercial areas, underground parking and the shell of the kindergartens. 34.5 million would be needed for the transfer of the three properties from financial to administrative assets. The remaining amount is divided between the expansion costs for the four kindergartens, the redesign of the front zone along Leutschenbachstrasse, the photovoltaic system and energy-saving measures, the report continues.

If the municipal council approves the, a referendum on the project will be held, it is scheduled for February 2019. If the electorate approves the plans, construction work can begin in late 2019 or early 2020. The first tenants could then move in during the fall or winter of 2023.