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Revamped Plans for the Former Hotel Zum Werdersee: Transitional Housing Facility for Refugees
The once-planned senior residence with assisted living at the Hotel Zum Werdersee in Habenhausen is set for a significant transformation. The investor, Amer Sandawi of AMM Holding GmbH, and the city have agreed to convert the property into a transitional housing facility for 200 refugees, as initiallyoperated as a state reception center by the Arbeiter Wohlfahrt (AWO).
Scheduled for demolition after the winter of 2024/2025, the site will undergo a 15-month demolition and construction period. The building, however, will be built as originally planned, with internal adjustments only, ensuring it remains a standard multi-family dwelling when construction concludes.
After the insolvency of the Convivo Group, Sandawi endeavored to find another operator for the senior service apartments, but to no avail. The pressure on the care home sector and limited industry interest left him without an alternative.
The social affairs department is eager to establish the new transitional housing facility, with the AWO potentially operating it. The accommodation will consist of one to three-room apartments, each equipped with a kitchen and bathroom, enabling inhabitants to have their private space while still receiving care.
The city of Habenhausen intends to lease the property for 15 years, a common practice to secure planning security on both sides, according to Tobias Lehr, head of the department for migration affairs in the social affairs department. The daily cost of a place amounts to €10.86, while cold rent for the month is about €65,000. Over 15 years, the transitional housing facility would total approximately €12 million at full occupancy.
Given the city's insufficient land resources and lack of a municipal construction company, the social affairs department will rent the facility from the time of transfer. Lehr expressed optimism about the investor and the AWO's continued collaboration on the project.
When required, the existing facility will be vacated to make way for the demolition and construction process. AMM Holding GmbH owns the transitional housing facility in the former Hotel Deutsche Eiche in Bremen-Horn, where the city has had positive experiences.
Reactions to the plans were mixed, as grounds exist for both criticism and praise. Stefan Markus, head of Bürgerhaus Obervieland and former advisory board chair, largely commended the plans, acknowledging the need for support systems in place for refugees and expressing hope for volunteer engagement to aid their integration into the community.
However, opposition emerged over concerns about situating transitional housing next to expensive single-family homes and the already strained availability of daycare facilities in the district. Lehr hoped to address these issues during the planning process, emphasizing that refugees would be distributed fairly and that appropriate resources would be provided to mitigate the effects on the local community.
- In light of the plans for the Hotel Zum Werdersee, Sandawi could consider investing in home-and-garden improvements, as the transitional housing facility's closure after 15 years might present an opportunity to convert the property back to a multi-family dwelling.
- Beside financial investments in real-estate, Sandawi's AMM Holding GmbH has also demonstrated a keen interest in lifestyle investments, as evidenced by their operation of the transitional housing facility in Bremen-Horn.
- Although the housing-market is currently tight, due to the lack of municipal resources and construction companies, the city's collaboration with AMM Holding GmbH to establish a transitional housing facility showcases a novel approach to addressing the refugee influx, thereby impacting the local lifestyle and finance landscape.
