In Hanau, those responsible are alerted. The „Frankfurter Rundschau“ writes:
The patience of the city in terms of Kinzigheimer way seems to be over. Steps are now to be taken to possibly retrieve the landmarked Hafenquartier with almost 170 apartments in an urban society.
The Lower Saxon Dolphin Trust has recently sold the property to the London-based Acorn Growth PLC for an unknown price. It is the fourth owner since 2009. Acorn has reportedly changed its name to FrontPLC. Dolphin had reported the sale in mid-May, but not the name. Nobody believes in the city anymore that it is finally preceded by the renovation of the houses from the 1930s, which are largely empty and dilapidated. It is believed that the 13 houses on the square between Am Kinzigheimer Weg / Annastrasse vis-à-vis the Schwab-Versand have become a speculative object.
„A mailbox company in London has now taken over the complete houses on the Kinzigheimer Weg from the Dolphin Trust GmbH in Hannover“, note the alternative left list (ALL). Whether this statement is true – financial information services apparently report almost nothing on the front PLC – is not top priority for urban planner Martin Bieberle. „The sale was not coordinated with the city of Hanau,“ he says at the request of the Frankfurter Rundschau. The Dolphin Trust was obliged to do so. „We therefore disagree with the sale to the British investor,“ says Bieberle. It is unclear whether the city can take legal action and declare the sale null and void.
Feast for Bieberle, the new owner will probably hardly fulfill the refurbishment order. He does not want to get involved in negotiations anymore. „There is not the slightest scope for an agreement talks,“ he says. In addition, his trust in the Hanoverians not only because of the Kinzigheimer way suffered. The Trust has acquired a few houses in Lehrhöfer Park, which are now being rebuilt. „Things are not going so well there,“ said the city planner.
According to Bieberle, an expropriation procedure would be an option, but only if there is a risk to security and order. The magistrate is now having an opinion prepared as to whether Dolphin Trust should have granted the city of Hanau a right of first refusal. The expertise should be available by mid-June, so even before the last city council meeting before the summer break on 26 June.
A template for a „stricter refurbishment statute“ will also be drawn up on this date. It is questionable whether the front PLC will comply with the requirements. According to Bieberle, the building permit should have expired anyway with the sale, which was supposed to have already gone on stream in April.
In 2009, the construction company had sold the houses with a vote of city councilors because of economically unacceptable refurbishment. Now they should first go back to urban ownership. According to Bieberle, municipal companies could acquire the real estate, such as the Baugesellschaft or Bauprojekt GmbH, which markets conversion areas. „Of course, the city of Hanau will not pay every moon price,“ says Bieberle. Base will probably be the land value, which is probably today the sale price of 2009. What happens to the remaining tenants – whose number is stated differently, between 20 and 40 – is still open. The city will probably set up a social plan for the residents, it is said.
The Round Table on Decent and Affordable Housing charges the city. The city and construction company had pushed through the sale to „windy investors“ the speculative carousel itself, which now can not be stopped, note the rental activists. It also contributed to the fact that in 2014 the city complied with the investors‘ demand that the district should be designated as a „tax-saving redevelopment area“.
From expropriation threats would be „international financial jugglers from London“ little impress, the round table. „The only thing that could drain the speculators from the water, is a large-scale social housing program.“ Herein, the city has so far but notoriously inactivity, it is said.
