With the new Herten Forum, one of the most important construction projects of the past decades is now starting. But there is no trace of enthusiasm in politics, administration or citizenship.
A comment go to Article “Day of the decision for the new Herten forum”
The investor THI, who gritted its teeth at the Herten Forum from 2012 to 2017, planned a new shopping center with 17,000 square meters of retail space – with an electronics store, high-quality textile shops and everything else. The shopping temple should move the Herten people
Spending 50 million euros in purchasing power, which flows into other cities in the region every year, in Herten instead. In addition, the new forum should attract customers from the surrounding area. However, the general decline in brick-and-mortar retail and the boom in online business have contributed to the fact that plans have been cut significantly since then.
Planned sales area almost halved
The current investor, Phoenix Development, initially started with 13,620 square meters of retail space in 2017, then gradually reduced it to 7,150 square meters. Shops with local basic supplies will be located in these areas: groceries, drugstores, housewares, inexpensive clothing, opticians, pharmacies, pizza, kebab, Asian food.
Not a single one of the planned businesses will tie up draining purchasing power to Herten or attract foreign customers to a large extent.
And new electronics markets are out of the question anyway. On the contrary, they die like flies: right now Saturn in Buer.
Investors, politicians and administrators have arrived at the bottom of the Herten facts. More than what Phoenix is now realizing is not possible. And at least Edeka is definitely a win, because there is a lack of full-range stores with fresh counters in Herten.
Relieved of a burden after more than 20 years
We Herten can be happy that Phoenix is at least implementing this plan in a solid, reliable and architecturally appealing manner and thus relieving the city center of a burden that has weighed on Herten’s hearts for more than 20 years. The decline of the old forum began immediately after it opened in 1999.
This mood could now also be felt in the Council Committee for Urban Development. There was no jubilation either on the part of the city administration or in the ranks of the politicians. In none of the verbal contributions was it reflected that one of the largest urban development projects of the past decades is being launched here.
Not a word about the landlord list
Nobody wanted to comment on the list of tenants, which fell far short of earlier hopes, and the stagnating occupancy rate. Instead, the CDU once again addressed the problematic traffic concept. And after the many setbacks and exhausting debates in recent years, the SPD brought the mood to the point. Tenor: Now just start building quickly and get it done before something comes up again.
One can really only agree and hope that the result will one day trigger the enthusiasm that is lacking today.
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