Eschborn: 200 new apartments from old office buildings!

Eschborn: 200 new apartments from old office buildings!

Something is happening on the real estate market in Eschborn. Sonar Development has recently received building permits for an interesting transformation project. Two empty office buildings on Hauptstrasse 71–79 and 87 are to be converted into around 200 apartments, which could significantly ease the housing construction situation in the region. How immobilienmanager.de reported, this project is being implemented on behalf of an institutional investor. The approvals were granted without any conditions, which indicates that the process went smoothly.

Construction is scheduled to start in September 2023. Sonar relies on sustainable densification - this means that the existing building structure is continued to be used in order to save gray energy and avoid additional surface sealing. A renovation according to the KfW 55 standard is planned, which makes a lot of sense from an energy perspective. The Ed. Züblin AG was commissioned as general contractor to implement the project.

A continuing trend: from office to home

The Eschborn project is not just an isolated case, but fits into a larger trend. In Germany, numerous office buildings are empty, which makes converting offices into living space increasingly attractive. A short study by bulwiengesa shows that there is potential to create around 150,000 new apartments in seven German A cities, particularly through the conversion of older office buildings. Cities like Berlin and Munich could each gain around 30,000 new residential units.

This development can be seen above all against the background of the housing shortage and increasing office vacancies. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the situation due to the increased use of home offices. Loud tagesschau.de There is currently a lack of around 600,000 apartments in Germany, while over 5 million square meters of office space are vacant in the largest cities.

Challenges in repurposing

But repurposing isn't that easy. The technical, economic and legal hurdles should not be underestimated. This includes the existing building structure and often a lack of connections to local public transport. Some are still making great progress - such as a former office building in Koblenz that was converted into 21 apartments for 4.6 million euros.

The federal government has the goal of creating 400,000 new apartments every year, but is falling short of this. Only 295,000 new homes were built in 2023. Experts estimate that around 11,300 apartments could be created by converting empty offices in large cities. These conversions are ecologically beneficial because they cause fewer CO2 emissions than new buildings.

If the framework conditions are right and the bureaucratic hurdles are reduced, there is enormous potential in converting office space into living space, which can help alleviate the housing shortage. The first stone has now been laid in Eschborn and perhaps the beginning of a significant change in the real estate landscape.