Vienna City Council

Out of City Hall: Hacker will soon be packing his bags

Vienna's City Councillor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ)(Bild: Zwefo)

The City Councillor is leaving Vienna City Hall. Where he has to go, why parts of the General Directorate of the Town Town health association have moved and what this has to do with a 25 million euro tower ...

City Councillor for Health Peter Hacker of the SPÖ is leaving Vienna City Hall. Before the opposition pops the champagne corks: The castling is not a personnel change, but an organizational one. As part of the town hall renovation, Hacker, who is based in one of the oldest offices in the historic building, has to vacate the floor with his team for renovation work.

No space nearby
The surprising thing is: It seems that nothing has been found for Hacker in the immediate vicinity. The 28 employees will have to move to Town Town for 1.5 years. Due to a lack of space, city councillors Michael Ludwig and Andreas Mailath-Pokorny once also resided outside the town hall - but only a stone's throw away

In Town Town alone, we pay 1.9 million euros in rent per year.

Wigev-Sprecherin Sprecherin Nina Brenner-Küng

There is only room for Hacker and his team on Thomas-Klestil-Platz in the 3rd district because parts of the General Directorate of the Healthcare Association (Wigev) have moved to the AKH site. But not all of them - which is causing resentment among some. One insider: "The bosses are moving to the top floor of a luxury tower, while we stay behind here."

120 employees of the healthcare association have moved into this tower on the grounds of the AKH. The rest will follow by 2030.(Bild: zVg)

An accusation that the Gesundheitsverbund cannot understand. "This measure is part of a strategy. We are trying to reduce the number of properties we rent in favor of those we own," explains spokesperson Nina Brenner-Küng. "The Guglgasse site has already been closed. In Town Town alone, we pay 1.9 million euros in rent per year." And so the AKH Tower (a former nurses' home) was renovated for around 25 million euros - work on the neighboring tower will start in 2025. The rest of the Wigev workforce will then be able to join them in 2029/2030.

And Hacker? Isn't the distance tedious in everyday life? The "Krone" has learned that he will be provided with a room in City Hall for long working days.