Weingarten (Ravensburg district): BUWOG realizes new construction project "Martinshöfe, a visualization of the project from a bird's eye view

BUWOG realizes new building project "Martinshöfe" - visualization

Joint press release of the city of Weingarten, i+R Wohnbau Lindau GmbH, BUWOG Bauträger GmbH // Weingarten, 25 January 2022:

On 24 January 2022, the new owner of Martinshöfe presented itself to Weingarten’s municipal council: BUWOG is acquiring the approx. 3.7-hectare property in the centre of Weingarten from project developer i+R Wohnbau Lindau GmbH (DE).

Over the next few years, the real estate project will be carried out by the new owner and feature approximately 500 apartments, commercial spaces and a plan for premium green areas, as decided in the development plan and guaranteed in the urban development agreement. BUWOG is investing a total of around € 250 million. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2023, with completion planned for 2029.

The “Martinshöfe” real estate project, described by Mayor Markus Ewald as a “beacon project for Weingarten”, has a new owner: BUWOG Bauträger GmbH has acquired the approx. 37,000 m² site together with the fully developed property project. Yesterday, the Berlin-based company presented itself and the next steps in the realisation of “Martinshöfe” to Weingarten's municipal council.

Mayor Markus Ewald:

“We are delighted to be able to present the name of the new owner of the Martinshöfe development to the public today. Its redevelopment is a project of the century for the city of Weingarten and we are convinced that with BUWOG we have a new reliable and competent partner at our side who will support and fully implement what we have contracted in our urban development agreement in the coming years.”

Since 2017, Lindau-based project and site developer i+R Wohnbau has been working closely with the city of Weingarten to develop the former south Schuler industrial site, which is located at the foot of the basilica and directly adjacent to the city centre. Following public participation, an urban planning competition (only in German), which the Stuttgart-based architectural firm Ackermann & Raff won – and after years of intensive development, the resolution for the plan was adopted in March 2021.

Change of plan upon realisation

In August 2021, Managing Director Karlheinz Bayer of i+R Wohnbau announced an unplanned change of course: a scheduling conflict between two major projects at i+R made it necessary to find a new owner for the “Martinshöfe”. “With BUWOG, we believe we have found the ideal partner who is able to carry out the development plan put together with the city in the desired quality.”

At the end of 2021, BUWOG acquired the property, including the development plan and the plans for use set out in the urban development agreement with the city of Weingarten, right down to the details of implementation. The acquisition process was supported by FRANK Immobilien GmbH.

BUWOG Managing Director Eva Weiß:

“With ‘Martinshöfe’, we are planning a well-diversified development with a balanced mix of rental apartments, condominiums and residential space for every generation. We are also creating residential amenities such as a square, a new place to gather and space for new commercial areas and offices for approximately 400 workplaces.”

Sustainable mixed-use development

The residential mix of the approximately 500 apartments will range in size from one to five rooms, meaning the new residential space provided is aimed at a wide range of target and age groups. A total of 381 rental apartments and 126 condominiums will be built. In the rentals, there will be a total of 50 barrier-free “assisted living” apartments for older people. These apartments will have two to three rooms. In the development as a whole, a total of 20 percent of all apartments will be rent-controlled for people with lower incomes. Almost all apartments developed in Martinshöfe will feature balconies, terraces, loggias or – depending on the location – rooftop terraces.

In addition, a new square will be created, where a gathering place for the development will be located. It will serve as a central contact point for residents and will be operated by the municipality of Weingarten. The new development will be fully equipped with renewable energy and sustainable amenities: 80 percent of the renewable energy will be generated by geothermal probes and photovoltaics.

The development is expected to have 28 commercial units designed to meet the needs of the development and surrounding area. These will include two retail spaces and smaller commercial units for a bakery with a café as well as modern office and practice space.

BUWOG commitment in Upper Swabia

BUWOG is a property developer with experience in neighbourhood development, generating condominiums as well as rental apartments for its own portfolio (Vonovia). Approximately 3,000 rental apartments are already in the portfolio in the region of Lake Constance-Upper Swabia.

Construction will commence in 2023. This will involve the start of comprehensive soil remediation measures, which are necessary to remove sites contaminated from previous commercial use. BUWOG will bear the total costs of approximately € 10 million. Afterward, the new construction project will be carried out in four construction phases.

The new owner is investing a total of around € 250 million in the “Martinshöfe” development. When awarding contracts, BUWOG aims to give special consideration to suitable companies and trades in the region.

The company has around 280 employees in subsidiaries in Munich, Stuttgart and others. BUWOG has around 16,000 apartments under construction and in planning throughout Germany.

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