Trei Real Estate and the Borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg just signed an urban development agreement concerning the construction of a mixed residential/retail building. The plot at issue has long been in the possession of Trei and is located at Kopenicker Strasse 11,12 – near the “Schlesisches Tor” underground stop. The contract (implementation agreement) now signed will serve as the basis for the conditional zoning plan process that is currently underway.
It allows Trei Real Estate to develop c. 18,200m2 of gross floor area on the first-line riverside plot of about 5,800m2. This implies around 13,100m2 of lettable area. The ground floor is earmarked for one larger and two smaller commercial units. On the floors above, around 190 residential units will be created – 70% of which will be open market and 30% rent controlled. It is planned to develop the property to the EH40, QNG-Plus and DGNB Gold sustainability standards.
Trei Real Estate has agreed to create open areas and public access to the bank of the River Spree. The riverside area will include a public green area of c. 830m2, a public playground of around 320m2, a passageway from Kopenicker Strasse to the riverbank that will take up around 180m2, and a protected habitat of around 250m2 for a beaver living on the premises.
Pepijn Morshuis, the CEO of Trei Real Estate, said: “We have plenty of faith in our project in Berlin-Kreuzberg and in the micro-environment along Kopenicker Strasse. It is a very attractive site, being located directly on the bank of the River Spree and close to the Schlesisches Tor square. We are glad to have made a big step forward toward the start of construction work by signing this agreement.”
The compromise between the borough and Trei Real Estate is considered fitting by the competent borough councillor, Florian Schmidt: “On the one hand, urgently needed residential accommodation is created (190 residential units) – thereof 30% as rent-controlled housing. On the other hand, the interests of the general public were taken into account in other ways. For instance, it was very important to the borough to create public access to the riverbank. We were able to secure this within the scope of the compromise deal. In addition, eight supervised co-housing spots for youngsters and a daycare centre for ten children will be created.”
In a development parallel to the urban development agreement, the conditional zoning process has been moving ahead. The next steps will be the building permit application and its consent.
The plot was previously occupied by a supermarket, which burned down in January 2014. In the years since, the site has been used as a parking lot.
Image source - Pexels.
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