Zurich: Birkenhof housing estate to be redeveloped
The city of Zurich wants to renovate the Birkenhof housing estate in the Unterstrass district. The refurbishment is expected to cost around CHF 35 million.
The Birkenhof housing estate was built in 1925/26 on a site at the corner of Schaffhauserstrasse and Guggachstrasse; it comprises 101 apartments. It was last renovated in the 1970s. Now the Birkenhof is to be refurbished for a further useful life of 30 years, the city of Zurich has announced.
The settlement is listed in the inventory of art and cultural-historical protected objects of communal importance, which is why the construction measures are being carried out in coordination with the monument preservation authorities. Original parts such as wall cupboards, original floor coverings and façade paintings would be preserved, but bathrooms, kitchens and building services would be replaced or supplemented.
Need for refurbishment higher than expected
The city council has now approved CHF 35.58 million for the renovation. When the project credit was approved in 2016, the costs were still estimated at around 30 million. In the course of the project planning, however, it became clear that the need for maintenance would be greater than originally assumed, according to the city of Zurich.
The Milchbuck school, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the housing estate, is to be expanded from 2027. For a transitional period of ten years, the Birkenhof building at Zeppelinstrasse 36 will therefore be used as a kindergarten with childcare. This change of use and the subsequent deconstruction will cost CHF 2.89 million. In addition, around CHF 600,000 is to be invested in the interior fittings and the surroundings of the settlement, for example 130 bicycle parking spaces are to be created.
As a result of the renovation, the average net rent for the 68 sqm 3-room apartments will increase from CHF 720 today to CHF 1,124. For the 89 sqm 4-room apartments, the average net rent will rise from CHF 883 to CHF 1,350, according to the city of Zurich. The net rent per square metre per year will rise to an average of CHF 195. It is being examined whether a third of the apartments could be subsidised. So far, no apartments in Birkenhof have been subsidized.
Construction is scheduled to begin in February 2021, and the refurbished apartments are expected to be ready for occupancy in August 2023. (ah)
