In order to revive Offenbach's weak inner city, the city has had the Hamburg planning office Urbanista develop the future concept "offen denken". All participants have started from the realization that the retail trade will not return to the city center and will help it to its old attractiveness. A central element of the plan is therefore to create the conditions for creating an urban mix of living, working, learning, education and leisure. The central instrument for this is a complex called "Station Mitte". This is where the city library and other educational and leisure activities are to find their place. There will also be space for concerts and other cultural events.

Jochen Remmert

Airport editor and correspondent Rhein-Main-Süd.

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From a multi-stage feasibility study on eligible existing buildings in the city center, the "the old Karstadt" called house at Frankfurter Straße 17 emerged as the favorite, as planning department head Paul-Gerhard Weiß announced on Wednesday. Currently, the textile chains TK Maxx and Kik are tenants there. According to Weiss, both a purchase and a rental model are possible for this property. For the almost 8000 square meters, a purchase price of 38.9 million euros is currently under discussion and a rental model in which 17.65 euros per square meter would be due. After 25 years, this would add up to around 56 million euros. In both cases, there would also be around 10.5 million euros for the interior fittings under municipal management. A move would be possible around July 2026.

As a further possibility, the study mentions the shopping center Komm on the Große Marktstraße. However, there is no possibility of buying there. The rent per square meter is 15.65 euros, which would mean a total cost of around 25 million euros after 40 years. There are only 6000 square meters available. Here, however, the purchase would already be possible at the beginning of 2026.

Owner's claims too high for the city

As a third possibility, the study mentions the C&A building on Berliner Straße. According to the current ideas of the owner, the 7000 square meters would also be rented for 17.65 euros per square meter, the interior design to the "Station Mitte" would cost 9.5 million euros. The purchase price is 31.2 million euros. However, according to Sudie, the construction effort for this building would be particularly high. The house would have to be upgraded in two construction phases, with the first being ready in early 2027, the second not until summer 2029.

The cost of building the "Station Mitte" in the former Karstadt building is higher than in the Komm shopping centre, but lower than in the C&A complex. This location also has the most potential and the greatest appeal to the city center, it was said on Wednesday.

In detail, the feasibility study compared the three locations – apart from size and price – on the basis of a catalogue of requirements. Among other things, it considered what visual references the building has in the urban space, how the ground floor zones can be opened up and how communication with the public space can be made possible. Accessibility, safety and child-friendliness were further criteria that the study sees most likely to be fulfilled in the former Karstadt building. For these reasons, this is currently the favorite of the magistrate, Weiß continued. At the same time, however, he emphasized that the monetary expectations of the owner were too high, which is why the other two options were also being further examined.