The Bozner Platz Neu-Chronology: From lighthouse project to financial nightmare
The chronology of the Bozner Platz: years of discussions, numerous decisions in the political bodies and time and again shifts in time. The issue has been on the political agenda since 2016. With the cost explosion that is now being presented, the lighthouse project has developed into a financial nightmare for politicians.
INNSBRUCK. The remains of the gas station were disposed of, two small-leaved lime trees were pruned, and war relics were examined. The preliminary work on Bozner Platz Neu has been carried out and the project can start. If it weren’t for the explosion in costs: the implementation of the planned project would cost 9.3 million euros. The cost cap decided by the municipal council, which should only refer to the construction costs without ancillary costs, is far exceeded. The future of Bozner Platz is open again, the decision is again up to the municipal council and here the waves are rising. Interesting detail: The city has already received 2.4 million euros from the funds of the municipal investment program 2020 and 359,000 euros from the state of Tyrol transferred to its account. The political decision-making process for Bozner Platz is characterized by breakdowns, a lot of criticism and still unanswered questions.
the never ending Story
2016 cap Thomas Hudovernik the design of the Bozner Platz was raised from the popular topic of the regulars’ table to the focus of city politics. For the French chairman of the inner city association, the redesign was a heart project and said in an interview with the Innsbruck district newspaper:
“Bozner Platz is an important gateway to the city. More and more guests are arriving by train and walking right past the connection to the square. Today, however, it is in a pitiful state.”
One is currently in lively talks with the city government and a planning group is scheduled for autumn. The inner city association expects implementation by 2018.
The chronology of the Bozner Platz in the Innsbruck district newspapers
transformation is coming
i am august 2017 was to be read in the Innsbruck district newspaper: “For the A redesign of the entire square is planned for the next municipal council period‘ the then councilor said Gerhard Fritz. After the inner city association presented its ideas to the city senate, the city senate acknowledged and approved the joint requirements of the residents, property owners and business people for the new square.
renewal of the claim
Also in April 2018 Nothing has changed in the demands: “We would like the future city government to initiate a planning process with citizen participation in order to then quickly achieve implementation,” demanded Hudovernik and explains that since 2015 it has been active that at Bozner Platz the desired attractiveness finally started. The inner city association will now rely on the election mood and persevere in order to be able to put pressure on the parties.
Should the Bozner Platz project be implemented for EUR 9.2 million?
Start of the initiative
I am Sept 2018 the inner city club died Initiative “Redesign Bozner Platz” in the centre. “Passers-by should be able to get from the train station to the city center and back again with a feeling of security. The square, in combination with a corresponding gastronomic offer, should invite you to linger and pause,” Thomas Hudovernik, chairman of the city center association, went into detail and added: “In this context, we are calling for a design competition next year and, as a result, a requested redesign of the square.”
Should the Bozner Platz project be implemented as a savings option?
need of the hour
I am June 2019 Hudovernik once again pleads for a quick redesign: “After the last renovations in Meraner Strasse and Wilhelm-Greil-Strasse, the next logical step would be the redesign of Bozner Platz. The order of the day is for the city to call for tenders for the architectural competition as quickly as possible.” The reaction of city politicians at the time was as follows:
“It goes without saying that Bozner Platz plays an important role alongside other equally important projects such as the design of the square in Mariahilf and in front of the Haus der Musik.”
News from the city politics in the political ticker of the district newspapers Innsbruck
City Senate decision
In July 2019, the city senate decided on the priorities for “Street Space Design 2019-2024”. Among other things: “The redesign of Bozner Platz will begin next autumn with an open design competition.” A first information event took place in January 2020. Project Manager Christian Müller from the “Civil Engineering – Planning” department: “Bozner Platz is frequented by around 8,000 cars and 10,000 people on foot every day. It is important to maintain the accessibility of the underground car parks, to increase the quality of stay, to define catering areas to enliven the square, to have sufficient trees to protect against overheating, but also to take charging options into account and to accommodate residents’ parking spaces on the surrounding streets.” A financial framework of 3.5 million euros was set aside for the redesign.
contest
Another city senate decision followed in June 2020. A majority of the city senate decided to launch a competition to redesign Bozner Platz. The Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the SPÖ vote against it. However, it is not about awarding the project, but about cost control. Then there was a bang in the municipal council: Mayor Willi’s request for the city senate act “Redesign Bozner Platz. Open, single-stage realization competition, tender 2020” with a cost of €108,000 on the agenda after the fact, did not receive the necessary two-thirds majority of the municipal councils. The background was financial control. “As is well known, on July 18, 2019, the municipal council decided on measures to improve the management of major projects in the city of Innsbruck”. € city funding. According to the report, the Boznerplatz project IS estimated at €4.5 million including VAT. Lighting and any cable relocations are not included.”
winning project
The winning project was presented in February 2021. An exact cost forecast could not be given, an estimated 4.5 million euros. The development of the detailed project will last until autumn (tramway project, construction notice, etc.). Completion of the necessary work would be possible by spring 2022, but construction work should definitely start in 2022. The inner city economy wants construction to start with “after Easter 2022 the excavators should go up”.
minority vote
There was then a surprise in the state senate in July 2021: the final decisions for the redesign of Bozner Platz would have been on the agenda. The costs for the planning services and the reservation of trees in the amount of 281,195.96 euros were not decided. After a minority vote by the Freedom Party, the municipal council will deal with it.
Bang effect with the GR
Municipal council on July 23, 2021: The members of the municipal council should have decided on four points. Acknowledging the realization competition, awarding the plan services, obtaining the road plan services and reserving trees. However, StR Elisabeth Mayr drew the municipal council’s attention to the lack of a resolution by the municipal council for the overall project. After a meeting of the club representatives, the first three points were taken off the agenda by Mayor Georg Willi and postponed to the first meeting after the summer break. Only the reservation of the trees was approved. In the online session on the redesign of Bozner Platz, the municipal councils were informed that there were serious errors in the announcement of the “Redesign of Bozner Platz” competition and that these subsequently had to be legally rehabilitated.
Estimate at 5.5 million euros
On October 27th, 2021 there was a special municipal council meeting. On the agenda: “Redesign of Bozner Platz, open, one-stage realization competition, competition result and planning order. Resolution: The municipal council subsequently agrees to the framework conditions for the tender for the realization competition “Redesign Bozner Platz” in the form of a meeting zone.” In the decisive discussion in the municipal council, the construction costs were stated several times at 5 million euros. StR Uschi Schwarzl said in their unanimous statement at the meeting: “I, the project will exceed the cap a little. I dare to say that now. I believe that we will open at 5.5 million euros. But that’s it just my personal assessment of the construction costs that we usually achieve with such projects in the city of Innsbruck.” The project was accepted by a majority.
project start
In September 2022, the population was informed about the start of the project. “The goals of the redesign are also to improve the quality of life in the streets and to strengthen Innsbruck’s city center as a business location.” The planned felling of the small-leaved lime trees leads to days of protests by GR Gerald Depaoli. In the meantime, the preliminary work on Bozner Platz has been completed with the disposal of the underground remains of the petrol station, the felling of the two small-leaved lime trees and the investigation of war relics.
cost explosion
On January 30th, 2023 Mayor Georg Willi and StR Uschi Schwarzl informed the municipal councilors and the population about the cost development of the planned project. The total costs for the redesign of the Bozner Platz in the present version amount to 9.26 million euros. A possible savings variant with is just over 7.2 million euros, an implementation recommended by the advisory board at just over 6 million euros. The decision as to whether the Bozner Platz redesign will be implemented at all and in which variant is now up to the municipal council again. Cost explosion at Bozner Platz, BezirksBlätter article