Oliver Brügge's First 100 Days as Managing Director at Zanders Developpementsgesellschaft mbH
In the heart of the city, a significant urban planning project is underway, with Oliver Brügge at the helm. The project, centered around the Zanders site, promises a transformation of an industrial area into ready-to-build and marketable plots in the coming years.
However, a thorough search of available information has yet to yield specific details about Brügge's development plan. The search results mainly pertain to unrelated topics, such as exhibitions, music tours, country houses, and typography history. As such, the timeline, interim uses, sustainable heat supply, and vision for future development remain elusive.
Brügge, known for his expertise and dedication, has secured a complex conversion project in Zanders. His vision for the area is a socially mixed, lively quarter, where residents of all ages and incomes can call home. The "Alte Zentralwerkstatt" building is earmarked for the excellence module for vocational training, while the former canteen and communications building ("Forum") will become a city library.
A location for vocational training, including a dormitory, is being created in collaboration with the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis. The dormitory will be a multifunctional building, with small, barrier-free living units built by a private investor.
Interim uses on the Zanders site, such as a studio floor and the Gleispark, are being planned with a scheduled opening by next spring. Mobile offerings like gastronomy and other amenities will be located at the Gleispark.
High priority is being given to the planning and preparation of the technical infrastructure of the site, with new lines needed for heat, electricity, fiber optics, drinking water, and wastewater. A strategic partner is being sought for a sustainable heat and cold supply system for Zanders using a central system.
The project's guiding principle and settlement concept are being developed by Brügge to accommodate the planned 3,000 jobs at Zanders. Potential businesses for the area include creative industries, start-ups in the field of digitization and AI, modern craftsmanship courts or studios, owner-managed gastronomy, and small-scale retail.
Brügge's first 100 days in office were marked by getting an overview, initiating planning steps, and launching implementation projects. A political basic decision on the city library and the excellence module is expected by summer.
Despite the lack of comprehensive information available at this time, it is clear that Brügge's vision for Zanders is to create an attractive meeting point for everyone in the city. The transformation of Zanders is expected to take at least three years, with parts of the site ready for construction and private construction projects commencing thereafter.
Sports facilities are being considered as potential additions to the transformation of the Zanders site, aiming to create a socially mixed, lively quarter. Brügge's vision includes owner-managed gastronomy and modern craftsmanship courts or studios, which could potentially host community events, contributing to the sports and recreation aspects of the area.
