Büchel old town quarter

Following the demolition of the parking garage in 2022 and the lessons learned from the temporary “ZwischenZeit” site design, the “Altstadtquartier Büchel” urban development concept is now set to be gradually refined and implemented. This will create a new public green space, enhance the urban environment, and facilitate the development of new buildings. In addition, a mix of uses typical of a city center is to be promoted, and existing conflicts of use are to be resolved. Private investment

will also be strengthened through the redevelopment process. Through collaboration between private stakeholders and the public sector, the aim is thus to address structural, design, and environmental shortcomings.

The detailed redevelopment goals can be found in Section 6.1 of the final report.

To achieve the renovation goals, a comprehensive action plan was developed as part of the renovation strategy.
The measures cover the following areas:

• Urban development, buildings and land
• Uses
• Public spaces
• Mobility
• Environment, climate protection and climate adaptation

In addition, there are further measures outlined in the planned Integrated Urban Development Concept (ISEK) titled “Büchel Old Town District and Surrounding Area: House of Curiosity” (Document No. FB61/0050/WP19).

All measures, along with their detailed project descriptions, can be found in Section 6.2 of the final report, and the corresponding project summaries are included in the public appendix.

In a redevelopment area, the legislator generally assumes the application of the special redevelopment law provisions pursuant to Sections 152-156a BauGB if and to the extent that redevelopment-related increases in land value are to be expected, which is why the comprehensive procedure/full procedure is also referred to as the "standard procedure".

Pursuant to Section 142 (4) BauGB, however, the application of the special redevelopment regulations is to be excluded if this is not necessary for the implementation of the redevelopment and the implementation is not likely to be made more difficult as a result. The question of the possible application of this "simplified procedure" is not a discretionary decision.

As part of the preliminary assessment, an evaluation was conducted to determine whether land value increases resulting from the redevelopment are to be expected. The evaluation found that land value increases are generally to be expected, with significant increases anticipated in certain areas.
If—as in the present case—land value increases resulting from the redevelopment are to be expected, it is important to assess the applicability of the standard procedure with regard to the following criteria:

• Intended or necessary acquisition of land by the city at the redevelopment-influenced land value
• Influence on land prices and prevention of speculation
• Use of redevelopment-related increases in land value for financing (compensation amounts)

The relevance of these criteria to the redevelopment project in question can generally be affirmed. Consequently, the redevelopment project must be carried out through the full-scale procedure to ensure its feasibility.

For this reason, the specific redevelopment regulations set forth in Sections 152–156a and the approval requirements under Sections 144 and 145 automatically apply.

Permit RequirementsSince

the full planning procedure applies in the Büchel historic district, projects and property-related legal transactions are subject to permit requirements under Section 144 of the German Building Code (BauGB). This is intended to ensure that nothing occurs in the redevelopment area that would jeopardize or prevent the achievement of the redevelopment goals.

The following, among others, are subject to permit requirements:

• Projects and other measures in accordance with Section 14 BauGB (construction and conversion measures)
• Agreements on the use or utilization of land, buildings and parts of buildings (contractual relationships under the law of obligations such as rental and lease agreements)
• The legal sale of a property and the creation and sale of a heritable building right, including the underlying contracts under the law of obligations
• The creation of a right encumbering the property
• The establishment, amendment or revocation of a building charge
• Property divisions

Property sales are subject to the so-called price review in accordance with Section 153 (2) BauGB. If an agreed purchase price for a sale or an agreed equivalent value of a heritable building right is clearly above the value unaffected by redevelopment, this constitutes a significant impediment to redevelopment. In this case, the municipality must refuse to approve the corresponding contracts under redevelopment law. The City of Aachen itself is also bound by this purchase price limitation when acquiring land in accordance with Section 153 (3) BauGB.

Compensation

paymentsIn addition, in redevelopment areas, compensation payments (Sections 152–156a) are levied under the comprehensive procedure to ensure that property owners contribute to the redevelopment.

It should be noted that under the standard procedure, compensation payments are only levied if redevelopment-related increases in land value have actually occurred. This must be distinguished from changes in general market values on the real estate market. The

basis for this is a property-specific comparison of the so-called initial and final values at the end of the redevelopment process. It is planned to have these land values assessed by the Expert Committee of the Aachen Urban Region.

In addition, as a property owner, you have the option of entering into modernization agreements during the renovation of your buildings in order to claim tax benefits. You will find further information on this in the next section.

Modernization agreements

Property owners in redevelopment areas have the option of concluding modernization agreements with the city in order to claim tax deductions for renovations, modernizations or repairs to their property. There are some requirements for this, which you can find out about here.

To the modernization certificates

Consulting and FundingYou

are welcome to contact altbau plus e.V. at any time to schedule an initial consultation regarding the renovation and modernization of residential buildings. The organization also regularly hosts informative presentations on topics such as funding programs and various renovation-related issues.Please

visit the altbau plus e.V. website for more information.

Housing

Assistance The State of North Rhine-Westphalia supports housing through long-term, low-interest, and in some cases interest-free loans. Upon application, repayment reductions may also be granted on the loans provided.
In return, this creates rent and occupancy restrictions that particularly benefit groups of people who are disadvantaged in terms of housing availability and who, due to their income situation, are dependent on affordable housing.

If you are interested in housing subsidies for your property, you can find further information here.

Urban Land-Use Planning
: Urban land-use planning is a key instrument for guiding the urban development of neighborhoods. As part of general urban planning law, urban land-use planning is responsible for preparing and guiding the construction and other uses of land in accordance with the Building Code.

For the Büchel Old Town district, Development Plan 999S is currently being prepared to establish the legal framework for the urban development of the southern Old Town district. Urban

Development and Open Space Planning

The Büchel Old Town district is set to become a vibrant and forward-looking place in the center of Aachen. The focus is on an open space to be developed between Büchel and Antoniusstraße. The open space plan was approved by the city council in the summer of 2024, and the first construction work will begin in the summer of 2026.

Building construction is also part of the urban development at Büchel. To this end, SEGA’s plots of land will not be awarded to the highest bidder, but to the urban developers with the best concept.
The first step in this building development is the “Knowledge Module,” in which the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Infrastructure and Geotechnologies (IEG) will establish a “Center for Energy and Climate Technology in Aachen,” which will provide space for research, exhibitions, and public discourse.

Further steps will include the development of the “RedHouse+” and “Ausblick” construction sites, where a mix of commercial and new residential space typical of the city center is to be created.

About the planning process