Riva project in Arbon goes to the ballot box
There will be a referendum on the Riva high-rise project in Arbon. Whether the project of HRS Real Estate can be realized is therefore questionable.
HRS Real Estate AG is planning to demolish the Metropol Hotel in Arbon, which has been vacant since 2016, to make room for an ambitious new construction project: two residential towers, each with a maximum height of 43 metres and 13 storeys, are to be built on a common base level with a restaurant, bar and hall. A total of 63 apartments and 25 hotel rooms are planned in the two high-rise buildings.
The project is highly controversial. The city council sees the project as "an opportunity for Arbon", because it allows more views of the lake and more green spaces than before; there will be no more parking spaces there in future. In addition, the residential towers fit into the town with the characteristic elements of the old town and the Saurer industrial site.
A large part of the population is rather sceptical. With its referendum against the "Riva" design plan, which is to be made public in late autumn 2021, the "IG Seeufer ohne Hochhäuser", which was founded last spring, managed to ensure that the population will be able to vote on the project with the double residential towers for the first time in December 2021, according to a statement from the referendum committee.
According to regional media, the date for the referendum is still open, as the city council must first settle eight objections received to the design plan for the HRS project. If the objectors do not agree with the outcome of the decision, they could then appeal against it, Marco Sacchetti, secretary general at the Department of Construction and Environment, is quoted as saying. It is also unclear whether the people of Arbon will be able to vote on the necessary zoning changes envisaged in the revised local plan at the same time as the design plan.
According to a report by the St. Galler Tagblatt the Arbon city council would like to bring forward the points concerning Riva and not wait two or three years until the entire package is ready for a decision. According to city president Dominik Diezi, the city wants to clarify with the canton whether this approach is possible in January 2022. (bw)
