New building on Mariahilfer Straße: Hope and criticism of the Lamarr project!

New building on Mariahilfer Straße: Hope and criticism of the Lamarr project!

A new chapter for the controversial “Lamarr” construction project on Mariahilfer Straße begins after the Signa Group slipped into bankruptcy. The new owner, Stumpf Development GmbH, is planning a complete redesign of the area, which was presented on June 25th at a well-attended, if tense, event for residents. While the district leader Markus Reiter (Greens) considers the continuation of the project to be important for the district, opinions among the residents are divided, as meinbezirk.at reports.

Originally conceived as a luxury department store, the project has now transformed. 200 condominiums, smaller commercial spaces and a hotel are planned. The rear part of the existing shell will be demolished to make way for a 4-star superior hotel with 220 rooms, while a public roof terrace will also remain part of the design. This conversion became necessary because the previous plans were not feasible due to financial difficulties, as stated in an article by The press is explained.

New concept and planned measures

The building will be realized under the name “Mariahilfer Straße 10-18”. The sales area is to be reduced from the original 20,000 square meters to around 12,000 square meters, which will be positively received by residents. Nevertheless, there are critical voices that question the description of the dismantling as “sustainable”. Noise from construction work is expected from July as demolition work is scheduled to begin the same month. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2028, although there is already skepticism about the viability of this schedule.

According to Reiter, the district is demanding clear commitments from Stumpf Development GmbH regarding planning security and emphasizes the need for a sensible mix of residential, commercial and leisure activities. The first floor will be set up as a retail space, while the hotel and apartments will be built on the upper floors.

Criticism and challenges

Despite the positive aspects, the mood remains tense. Construction site traffic is to be routed via Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse, which is met with resistance from residents. There are also concerns about the use of the roof terrace, which is planned to be open to the public but raises questions about its actual implementation. The citizen surveys on the redesign of the outer Mariahilfer Straße, which also has an influence on the project, show the population's growing willingness to get involved, as [wienzufuss.at](https://www.wienzufuss.at/2024/04/03/die-aeussere-mariahilferstrasse-wird-aus-ihrem-dornroeschen Schlaf-erweckt/) analyzed.

Overall, the residents and the district are faced with the challenge of finding a balance between the new urban developments and the needs of the existing residents. It remains to be seen how the project will develop over the coming months and whether the high expectations of implementation can actually be met.