We bring property owners and prospective tenants together to revitalize retail spaces and bring new ideas to life. This increases the variety of offerings and creates new reasons for people to visit. On our “LeAn” platform, information about vacant retail spaces and potential business concepts can be posted. We then assess how well the retail space and the business concept are a good fit and connect property owners with entrepreneurs or operators.
"For Property Owners: Go to the Vacancy Reporting Tool"
"For Founders: About the Application Portal"
Under certain conditions, we also provide financial support for new businesses setting up shop through our “Ladenliebe” funding program.
To make good use of the time between when a space becomes vacant and when it is re-leased, our municipal “Citygold” project transforms empty storefronts into exhibition spaces.
Love for Retail: Vacant Spaces as a Launching Pad
- Note: Due to the current budget freeze, rentals funded through “Ladenliebe” are only available on a limited basis. Regardless of the funding opportunity described here, it makes sense to submit your application and business plan—or inform us about your retail space—to us.
We support people in opening new businesses in downtown Aachen. To do this, we lease vacant retail spaces as the primary tenant and sublease them for a limited time during the start-up phase at reduced rates. Do
you have a suitable retail space or an exciting business idea? Then you’ve come to the right place. We
support concepts that:- Offer something new,
- attract more people to the city center,
- ensure regular opening hours on several weekdays and
- be able to present a business plan that demonstrates how the concept can successfully establish itself in downtown Aachen during the funding period and beyond.
Ladenliebe is funded through the state program “Sustainable City Centers and Town Centers.”
The Funding Area
City of AachenThe map shows the area in the city center where retail spaces are generally eligible for funding (provided the owners participate). Funding is not available for relocations within the city center, as this would result in a vacancy elsewhere. We are also
happy to connect retail spaces and ideas outside the scope of this funding program.Step 1: Submit an idea
Please enter your idea into our request form. The following information is important for us:
- A clearly worded and comprehensive description of the proposed concept
- The desired location
- Space Requirements
- The desired rental period
- The maximum rent payable
- Do you already have some favorite restaurants in mind? Please let us know.
- Have you already prepared a business plan? Feel free to attach it to your application as a PDF.
We'll be in touch with you next!
Submit a requestStep 2: An Idea Finds a Storefront
Ideas from the request portal are presented to property owners, provided the basic criteria for a business location are met. They select an idea that works for them and their store.
Are you a property owner who wants to participate? Then please feel free to register your store.Step 3: Rent a storefront
We, the City of Aachen, lease the space as the primary tenant and sublease it to you, the new tenant, at a significantly lower rate.
The minimum lease term is six months; the maximum lease term is two years. Leases run until no later than the end of November 2027. We’d be happy to help you negotiate the lease terms for a follow-up contract.How the rent is divided:
- 30% Less Rent from Landlords
- New users pay 30% (plus additional fees)
- The city of Aachen covers 40% of the cost through the “Ladenliebe” program
Citygold: Creativity Instead of Vacancies
We make good use of the time between when a space is vacant and its reopening by transforming empty storefronts into exhibitions! To do this, we bring together owners of vacant stores with local artists, designers, and projects from the nonprofit and academic sectors. This benefits both sides:
- Property owners enhance the visual appeal of their vacant units—and thus the immediate surroundings—and increase the likelihood of finding new tenants
- Exhibitors can showcase themselves and their work in the city center
We welcome news about retail spaces and exhibition ideas at citymanagement@mail.aachen.de
As a business owner, how can I make my storefront available?
Would you like to liven up your storefront and participate in the Citygold initiative? Please register your vacant or soon-to-be-vacant storefront in our “Vacancy Reporter”:
We’ll reach out to you with a selection of exhibitors, and you’ll choose your favorite. We’ll then put you in touch with them and guide the process until the exhibit is up in the storefront. The visual enhancement creates a more attractive appearance, raises awareness of the location, and improves the chances of securing a new lease.
I'm an exhibitor. How can I apply for a display window?
Would you like to exhibit something? We’d be happy to provide you with a stage in the form of a storefront window in downtown Aachen so you can showcase your work, art, or project to a large audience. Please send us an email with the following information to citymanagement@mail.aachen.de:
- Contact Information
- Type of Exhibition
- Links to your own website, social media channels, etc.
If an owner selects your exhibition, we’ll put you in touch and guide you through the entire process until the exhibition is on display in the storefront.
City of Aachen
Looking for a retail space?
Our interactive map shows the currently known vacant ground-floor commercial spaces in downtown Aachen. It provides a quick overview of available and listed retail spaces, as well as additional information on confirmed vacancies.