Statement by the Governing Council of the Canton of St. Gallen
Voters from the canton of St. Gallen refused the special loan for the development of the Wil West area. This does not call the whole WILWEST project into question. With the decision, however, it is clear that the planned economic area will not be opened, developed and marketed by the canton of St. Gallen.
The electorate of the canton of St. Gallen rejected the special development loan of the Wil West area in the amount of 35 million francs with 52.58 percent. As the largest landowner in the Münchwilen sub-area of the Wil West area, the canton of St. Gallen would use the special loan to pre-finance the development, marketing and operation of the economic area. This is part of the overall WILWEST project, which, in addition to creating an attractive place for commercial and industrial companies, includes other measures in the areas of transport, mobility and sustainability. WILWEST is a joint project of the cantons of Thurgau and St. Gallen and the municipalities of the “Regio Wil”, supported by the Confederation as part of the Wil agglomeration program.
The no to the Wil West special loan does not mean the end of the entire WILWEST project. The canton of Thurgau plans to zonate the economic area according to the Will agglomeration program and the cantonal structure plan. Likewise, the traffic measures (Wil West motorway link, Thurgau Dreibrunnenallee cantonal road, north supplementary ring road, accompanying measures of the city and the Wil region) were not part of the voting proposal. For these projects, separate deliberations are required at federal, cantonal Thurgau and St. Gallen level and at municipal level.
However, the decision on the Wil West special loan makes it clear that the area in the municipality of Münchwilen (TG) will not be opened, developed and marketed by the canton of St. Gallen. However, the canton of St. Gallen remains the owner of the area in the canton of Thurgau. It is unclear how this ownership will continue. The project partners involved – namely the Wil region, the cantons of St. Gallen and Thurgau, the city of Wil and the municipalities of Münchwilen and Sirnach – must now clarify how the project should proceed.
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