Baltenswilerstrasse 10 Renovation Vote: Bassersdorf to Decide on 2.635 Million Francs Construction Loan

In November 2022, the local council approved the “Basi2035” project at a meeting, which is divided into two sub-projects. One part is organizational management, the other part is the optimization of the administrative buildings, which are spread over seven locations. The local council then commissioned an outside company to carry out an assessment and provided a loan of 46,000 francs.

In their analysis, the company Federas now finds that the Bassersdorf municipal administration will continue to grow with around 22 jobs in the next ten years. There is plenty of work, on the one hand due to demographic change and the costs associated with health, care and support, as well as constant population growth. Different infrastructure buildings cause additional work and in the school system, Federas sees an increase in work due to more complex issues in special education.

Monument protection requirements

On June 9, the city will submit the conversion of the building at Baltenswilerstrasse 10 to the ballot box to create space. In the instruction booklet you learn that this “old high school building” is a listed building and is approximately 140 years old. A building that needs to be completely renovated to meet today’s energy standards. So there is a cost of 2.635 million francs. The income statement is paid 269,000 francs per year for interest, depreciation and maintenance.

The local council has just approved the 2035 area and use strategy for the planned part to determine if land and buildings are needed for administration at their meeting in March and made co -basic decisions. A long-term strategy is being considered up to 2040, explains Head of Finance + Real Estate, Adrian Hediger.

RGPK carefully allows

The Accounting and Auditing Commission (RGPK) cautiously bids farewell. The monument protection requirements and the old structure of the building caused a lot of extra work. The RGPK also recognizes that the condition of the building makes it difficult to sell at a reasonable price. Nevertheless, she warns: “However, the RGPK notes with concern the steady growth of the city administration and its increasingly decentralized distribution throughout the region town.” They advise the local council to include modern working methods, rented office space or centralization in their considerations for the proposed space and use strategy.

It is not possible to sell

Adrian Hediger contradicts these statements in truth: “The rules of the city say that we are not allowed to sell city buildings. ” This means there is no sale. He also explains that large investments would still be needed to convert the building into a rental and that many would not benefit from it. «With the Basi2035 analysis, we have left the blind plane and can make clear statements about how things should proceed. Therefore, it seems to us that the proposed renovation of the building and the relocation of the police department is the right way to go.”

Focus on tension

Hediger speaks to the basic decisions of the city council: “We will not focus on a central administration building, but rather the development of the existing rooms, in some cases very extensive. Digitization and new ways of working allow us to make better use of our spaces.” It is also planned to locate the department of social affairs on Baltenswilerstrasse. “We can advance spatial planning there in a way that we design sensitive work areas to be structurally safe and discreet. As employers, we have a duty to do this.” This is important, for example, when clients have the ability to attack or protect data and consent.
For Hediger, however, the crucial thing is the clear analysis on which decisions can now be made in a well-founded way. “We have compared key people for administrative work with other cities and we are doing well in Bassersdorf,” he summarizes. This established basis will now be checked and changed when necessary. “That’s why I’m confident about the vote.”