Hotel is off the table

Green light for residential building on one-euro property

The sale of a municipal property has been causing a stir in Vorchdorf for seven years.(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart .)

In 2017, the municipality of Vorchdorf sold a plot of land in the town center for one euro in order to build a low-cost hotel there. A VP politician was also involved in the deal. The hotel was never built, and now the municipal council passed a resolution to build apartments. 

"Instead of buying back the property, which was sold off for one euro after a dubious expert opinion, the investor is now being given the next gift," fumed Vorchdorf Citizens' List leader Albert Sprung.

Deadline passed a long time ago
As reported, the municipality sold around 1,700 square meters of land to a company in which an ÖVP politician was managing director for the symbolic value of one euro in 2017. The ridiculous price was justified by the high demolition costs for the old fire station and rescue building. However, the contract also stipulated the mandatory construction of an accommodation facility with hotel-like services (boarding house) within five years. There is currently no sign of this.

Majority against repurchase right 
Instead, apartments and offices could now be built on the site following a decision in principle by the municipal council. Sprung: "Instead of applying the right of repurchase and buying back the property, which is worth around 400,000 euros, at extremely favorable conditions for around 120,000 euros, the council wants to drop the requirement for a boarding house stipulated in the purchase agreement. The investor is to be allowed to build whatever he wants - and the municipality is looking through its fingers." Sprung is also annoyed that his additional application for an extra payment of 350,000 euros from the investor was rejected.

Concerns about legal disputes
ÖVP parliamentary group leader Mario Mayr does not see the decision as a major change in the nature of the project. "The important thing is that it has finally been driven forward. The construction industry has recovered and the investor has now taken a liking to the implementation. It's going in the right direction." A buyback would have been risky, as the contract allows for differences of opinion. "We would lose more time and possibly money in a legal dispute. And the Citizens' List has not yet presented a re-use plan for the property."