VThe last shop tenant left Offenbach’s main station almost ten years ago. Since then, only occasional interim uses have breathed new life into the station, which was originally completed in 1873 in the Neo-Renaissance style. Ost station has replaced the old train stop, which took on its present form in the Art Deco style in the 1920s. The S-Bahn through Offenbach runs in the tunnel under the city center and simply bypasses it. A few regional connections remain. Now, after years of standstill, the entrance building of the main station is to be renovated and redeveloped as a public place, according to a proposal by the magistrate that was on the agenda of the most recent city council meeting on Thursday.
The first option should therefore be with the German train to negotiate the purchase of the building. According to the magistrate, the appraised market value of 2.8 million euros is also the maximum purchase price. In the talks, however, all other possible solutions should also be explored, such as partial acquisition of the eastern part of the building or a lease of this complex for at least 25 years. Head of Planning Paul-Gerhard Weiß (FDP) and Mayor Sabine Groß (Die Grünen) were confident that the already good cooperation with Deutsche Bahn will continue to lead to satisfactory results. The aim is to develop the main station into a “model project” that does justice to the importance of the building as a cultural monument and at the same time offers new possibilities for use for a wide variety of groups from the middle of Offenbach’s urban society.
