Renovated office space at the ex-REWAG headquarters: expense of renovations yet to be disclosed
Regensburg's REWAG Headquarters Renovation Project: Contamination Costs Estimated at 22 Million Euros
The city of Regensburg is moving forward with plans to renovate the former REWAG headquarters on Greflingerstraße, with a third town hall under consideration. The project, which includes the remediation of contaminated sites, is estimated to cost approximately 22 million euros.
Approximately 24,500 square meters of the headquarters are currently occupied by around a quarter of the city's 4,000 employees, with annual rental costs of 3.8 million euros. The city acquired the 20,000 square meter area from REWAG for 11.6 million euros in 2021, with intentions to develop it into an administrative site.
The planned expansion phase includes a parking garage and three additional buildings with up to five floors, providing room for 735 workplaces that would be shared among 900 employees. However, the costs for soil contamination remediation before starting the renovation have yet to be determined.
The renovation of the old REWAG headquarters is currently estimated at 38.6 million euros. Some of the rented buildings are in poor condition, which adds to the overall costs. The CSU is skeptical but not opposed to the town hall plans, with Josef Zimmermann, a former REWAG supervisory board member, wondering what has changed since he stated that the building was not salvageable at the time.
The Bridge faction in the planning committee is against the town hall plans and advocates for selling the plots to a private investor to develop residential buildings. Thomas Thurow, the mayoral candidate of the Bridge faction, finds the conversion of the old REWAG headquarters convincing but argues that the entire project should be completely planned out, including the three additional buildings.
It's important to note that the site was previously used as a gasworks, which has resulted in hazardous waste in the soil and groundwater. No discussion about the contamination problem has taken place yet, despite this known issue.
A demolition and new construction would cost 47.5 million euros, which is 2.4 times as much CO2 as a renovation. Renovating the old REWAG headquarters would save a total of 1,600 tons of CO2 compared to demolition and new construction.
The energy supplier moved out of the headquarters in 2021, leaving the city with a significant opportunity to transform the site into a modern and sustainable administrative hub. For more detailed financial breakdowns or project timelines, you may refer to REWAG's official project reports or local government disclosures.
- With the establishment of a third town hall under consideration for the REWAG headquarters, potential investments for real-estate development may arise, as the city aims to convert the site into a modern, sustainable administrative hub.
- As the city of Regensburg navigates the cost estimation for the REWAG headquarters renovation, it is crucial to address the problem of contaminated soil and groundwater, as the expenditure for financial remediation and real-estate investing are intricately linked.
