HIAG receives building permit for high-rise residential building in Zurich Altstetten

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Zurich, 13 february 2022 – HIAG is building an approximately 80-metre-high residential building with 149 flats and public and commercial uses on the ground floor at the intersection of Baslerstrasse and Freihofstrasse in Zurich Altstetten. The building permit has been legally binding since the end of January 2023. Construction is scheduled to begin in late summer 2023.

In January 2023, the building permit for HIAG's application to construct the high-rise residential building at Freihofstrasse 25 became legally binding after the objection period expired without an appeal. This clears the way for the implementation of the building project, which HIAG will realise with "pool Architekten", Zurich, and "hrs Real Estate", Frauenfeld.

The approximately 7,800 square metre site at Freihofstrasse 25 is located in the dynamic development area between Hardstrasse and Altstetten railway station. The garage, formerly used by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, has been rented to Binelli Automobile as part of a transitional use since HIAG purchased the property in 2019. On the property, HIAG developed a new high-rise residential building as well as public and commercial ground-floor uses in the existing buildings over a period of around two and a half years.

The high-rise building with 25 storeys, which will house 149 rental flats on around 10,800 m2 of floor space (from 1.5 to 4.5 rooms), will be integrated into the existing building structure of the former car garage. The tenants will be offered a communal room, studios and a spacious roof terrace on the first floor. On the ground floor, sales and service areas are planned with around 2,100 m2 of floor space, and a restaurant is also envisaged. The striking shed hall, which is currently used as a workshop, will be retained and leased to a food retailer on a long-term basis. Under the filigree concrete structure of the former exhibition and assembly space on Baslerstrasse, a publicly accessible city loggia will be created. This area will be extended by a green space, also open to the public, with numerous trees and play areas.

"Sustainability played a central role in the planning," says Alex Römer, site developer at HIAG. "The high-rise is being built as a filigree, resource-saving concrete structure with a lightweight façade. The open spaces will remain largely unsealed and will be landscaped with local plants. A contemporary mobility concept allows for a significant reduction in parking spaces." 

At the end of January, the project was provisionally awarded the SNBS Building Construction Gold sustainability certificate. 

Construction work is expected to start in late summer 2023 and last until the beginning of 2026. Occupation is planned for March 2026.

About HIAG
HIAG is a leading real estate company listed on SIX Swiss Exchange that holds a real estate portfolio with a total value of CHF 1.87 billion. Compared to the total area of the real estate portfolio of 2.6 million m², HIAG has an outstanding development pipeline of around 815,000 m² with currently 61 projects and an expected investment volume of CHF 3.07 billion. The portfolio comprises 45 sites with well-developed office, commercial and logistics properties as well as selected residential properties in future-oriented growth regions of German and French-speaking Switzerland. HIAG generates a stable rental income from its real estate management activities and creates long-term value potential through active portfolio management and the development of attractive destinations.