Green light for a new large residential quarter in the east of Aachen: the city council approved the project-related development plan no. 1024 "Elsassstraße / Moscheeplatz" at its meeting last Wednesday (May 20). The city is pleased that this will further relieve the tight housing market in Aachen in the future. Lord Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons says: "With this district, we are showing that Aachen can shape the future quickly, in partnership, family-oriented and with clear social aspirations. Now, together with all those involved, we want to consistently accelerate the next steps."

A total of eleven residential buildings with around 170 apartments are to be built on the existing commercial space - around 10,000 square meters in size. The target proportion of publicly subsidized housing is to be 80 percent. These will be a mix of one- to five-room apartments ranging in size from 25 to 115 square meters. Family-friendliness is a top priority in the new quarter. A daycare center with five groups and 80 childcare places as well as a large outdoor area is also being built. The open inner courtyard of the residential quarter will feature plenty of greenery. In future, a central "grove" will grow there with ten large trees, and public footpaths and cycle paths will also run through the well-connected neighborhood. Rooms for a neighborhood meeting place are also planned. 60 underground parking spaces for cars and a car and bike sharing station round off the offer. The construction project is being managed by Elsassstraße Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG - a subsidiary of Derichs und Konertz Projektentwicklung GmbH. The design was created by Aachen-based architects pbs Architekten.

"This clearly shows that good cooperation quickly - in just under two years - leads to an excellent result. The project was managed hand in hand by the project developer and our project pilot. All colleagues in the city administration and also in the city region pulled together. This has created the foundation for attractive living space and a new district building block that is also impressive in terms of architectural culture," says a delighted Frauke Burgdorff, the city's planning councillor, about the milestone.

"The social area around the housing project has a proven need for daycare places and the city of Aachen has been looking for suitable projects for a long time in order to be able to provide a good offer for local families. We are very pleased that this has now been achieved," adds Heinrich Brötz, Alderman for Education, Youth and Culture.

Thomas Hissel, Aachen's Councillor for Housing, Social Affairs and Integration, says: "Particularly in Aachen's tight housing market, we need projects that create affordable housing on a relevant scale. With a proportion of 80 percent publicly subsidized apartments, the Elsassstraße district sends out a strong signal here."

Many threads have come together in the planning administration over the past few months. Within around two years, it was possible to move from the early political consultation to the participation of citizens to the final decision on the development plan. Dr. Achim Buschmeyer, Managing Director of DERICHS u KONERTZ Projektentwicklung GmbH, also emphasizes the good cooperation: "We are delighted that our new-build quarter in Elsassstrasse has been approved within just two years. This has created the legal planning basis for a five-group daycare center and 171 new apartments, 80 percent of which are publicly subsidized and can therefore be rented at a reasonable price. The pilot appointed by the City of Aachen has noticeably accelerated the development process and enabled targeted cooperation between the administration, politicians and us as the developer for the project."

The new residential quarter on Elsassstrasse is a decisive final building block. The new mosque and the design of the square in front of it, as well as the multi-award-winning residential project by gewoge AG opposite, will further enhance the quality of life and amenity in Aachen's eastern district.

Further planning by the private investor can now follow - including the building application and the subsequent approval process.