Zurich: SBB announces end to Neugasse project
After the 375-apartment project in Zurich West was rebuffed by voters, SBB says, "Further negotiations are out of the question."
On Sunday in Zurich, the initiative "One Europaallee is enough" was accepted with 50.26 % of the votes. The SBB informs that the project is thus dead for them. "For the implementation of the SBB project Neugasse, the next important step would be a design plan, which must be approved by the municipal council," the company writes in a media release. "This design plan would have no political chance after the yes to the popular initiative in the municipal council." The Neugasse site will remain the property of SBB as well as in the current building code, it added. It will now be "further used according to the needs of the SBB." SBB does not want to give hope to the voices in Zurich politics calling for the city to acquire the site, emphasizing that "further negotiations are out of the question."
"One of the largest participation processes in Zurich".
SBB points out that the current project status is the result of "one of the largest and most comprehensive participation processes ever conducted in Zurich, as well as intensive, long-term and ultimately successful negotiations."
The plan was to build 375 apartments on the 30,000-square-meter site, two-thirds of which would be affordable or non-profit, a school for 200 students, commercial space for 250 jobs, and new green and open spaces accessible to the entire neighborhood. (aw)
