Urban Development
Housing construction in Berlin
Tempelhof Field: Senate plans 1,700 apartments from 2016
Around 1,700 state-owned apartments were to be built on the edge of Tempelhof Field from 2016. Target rents: six to eight euros per square metre. A public referendum would decide whether construction goes ahead.
Peter Guthmann
In 2013, Berlin's Senator for Urban Development Michael Müller presented plans to build around 1,700 apartments on the western edge of Tempelhof Field. State-owned housing companies were to carry out the construction, with building set to start in 2016.
Locations and rents
Development was restricted to the perimeter of the open space. The park in the centre of the former airfield was to remain untouched. Planned phases: first near the Tempelhof S-Bahn station, then on the Neukoelln side and along Tempelhofer Damm.
According to Senator Müller, net cold rents were to range from six to eight euros per square metre. The target group was middle and lower income households that were finding it increasingly difficult to secure affordable housing on the open market.
Signal for investors
1,700 rent-controlled apartments at once would have had a noticeable effect on the local rental market. Owners in Tempelhof and Neukoelln needed to watch the development closely, as additional supply in the lower and mid-price segment can shift dynamics in neighbouring areas. At the same time, the project showed the political will to intervene actively in the housing market.
Financing described as a balancing act
Senator Müller himself called the financing a "balancing act." Beyond pure construction costs, the renovation of the listed airport building carried a price tag of at least 150 million euros.
The bigger hurdle, however, was political. Parts of the population opposed any construction on the popular recreational area. A public referendum was to decide whether building on the edges would be permitted. Public participation for drafting the development plans was scheduled for 2013 and 2014.
In hindsight, the project illustrates how difficult it is in Berlin to push through larger housing projects against public resistance. The ongoing market development in the capital depends in no small part on whether and where new housing actually gets built.