Future uncertain

Mega projects in St. Pölten in the Signa bankruptcy maelstrom

A mega residential project is to be built on the WWE land. However, two building plots belong to the Signa subsidiary BAI.

(Bild: www.beyer.co.at)

There is a big question mark behind two huge construction projects in St. Pölten following the mega-bankruptcy. There is no sign of construction work starting either in the city center or on the so-called WWE sites in Traisenau.

A huge residential area on the WWE grounds near the lake area, a mega redevelopment in the city center: Signa and its subsidiaries had big plans in St. Pölten. After the bankruptcy around a year ago, there is no sign of this, even though the starting position of the two projects is very different.

Rossmarkthöfe: 
The city quarter on the site of the former Leiner furniture store should have been ready by 2025, but was sold to SÜBA before Signa's insolvency at the end of 2022. The company is now completely rethinking the project, which was already ready for submission and would have included stores, offices, a hotel, assisted living, condominiums and a congress center. They do not want to show their cards. Even the city is in the dark about the plans. "The specialist department has not had any new plans or information for months," says the town hall.

Whether the Rossmarkthöfe will be realized as planned by Signa is currently more than questionable.

(Bild: (c) ZOOMVP.AT)

The property developer, which belongs to Hallmann Holding, is not much more specific when asked by Krone. They are currently working intensively on the amendments to the planning documents and are in discussions with interested parties and tenants for commercial, hotel and residential properties. "We will then continue with the approval planning," said a spokesperson, who currently expects a building permit at the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026. Once this has been granted, construction work can begin.

WWE reasons:
Things are even more complicated on the grounds in Traisenau, where 520 apartments were to be built - and which have already been cleared. This is because the Signa subsidiary BAI, which is also insolvent, was supposed to have developed three building plots here. The other two are owned by Austrian Real Estate (ARE). "We are sticking to the development of our building plots, but are dependent on the overall development of the district, not least because of the infrastructure," says ARE. It is therefore not possible to provide any definitive information on the start of construction. However, there are no plans to take over the BAI building plots.

The city also has no new information on the BAI plots. At the request of ARE, the process of changing the zoning is once again underway. "However, this only concerns the definition and demarcation of the development zones and their release conditions, with the aim of being able to build on the areas with reference to the ownership structure," says St. Pölten's city planner Jens de Buck. In any case, the applicant's aim is to implement the project on its own land, irrespective of the implementation plans of the other owners.