Former slaughterhouse terrain New concept for “Westwerk” combines work and lifestyle
Bonn · An investor group has given the city of Bonn a new concept for a lifestyle, gastronomy and work area on the former slaughterhouse terrain in the west of Bonn. Plans include a big event hall and club, office space and a food court.
After a drawn out five-year negotiating and planning phase, an investor group has presented a concept for repurposing the former slaughterhouse area on Immemburgstraße between Bonn-Endenich and Weststadt (western part of Bonn). Highlights of the concept include an event hall with a capacity for 1,750 visitors, a club which can accommodate 500 people and a food court with up to 15 different eating places.
The investor group, which includes Holger Jan Schmidt, Dirk Langenfeld and Thomas Kläser, also plans office space for creative industries, IT companies and start-ups. The “Westpark” would offer around 8,000 square meters for such businesses. According to GA information, there would also be an office building for Bonnorange, the sanitation department, as well as a waste burning facility.
Towards the train track area, there would be a parking garage for 400 cars, with an E-bike station and bicycle parking spaces. Now it’s up to the Bonn City Council to decide if the proposal gets a green light - a decision is expected in September at the latest. His ideal plan would be to open the new event hall in fall of 2018, but Holger Jan Schmidt says, “After five years of the planning period, I am careful about what I wish for.”
Herbert Spoelgen, council member from the SPD party, said he was amazed at the patience and tenacity demonstrated by the investors and that he completely supports the project. The Green party also welcomes the fact that the project is finally moving along. “Most important is that it moves forward. The project is extremely important for Bonn, because it’s an essential building block for the cultural identity of the city,” said Hardy Lohmeyer.
With “Westpark,” and “Westwerk” as the centerpiece, more than 300 jobs would be created in the area. Schmidt sees it as unique combination of work, lifestyle and gastronomy, also found in cities such as Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. With his Bonn Promotion Department, he organizes concerts and festivals, taking an interest in ecological sustainability. Between the buildings, their plans call for plenty of green spaces.
“We have developed a breathtaking concept, which we have now delivered to the city of Bonn on a silver platter,” said Schmidt. “We will see if Bonn is ready to finally make this step into a new era or decide for a standstill.” Orig. text: Dylan Cem AkalinTranslation: ck