What the Bavarian Ministry of Construction had to announce these days was politically explosive for the state capital München. It was therefore probably no coincidence that the ministry was waiting until Thursday afternoon: in the middle of the summer holidays, and a long weekend before the Bavarian holiday in Mariä Himmelfahrt. It could be assumed that the city’s political officials are already on vacation or at least on the way and would be under the project.
Especially since the whole thing was still nicely veiled under the heading “Free State makes away for private investments in the old criminal justice center”. What Construction Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) had spread on Thursday at 2.30 p.m. was the news that the massive concrete complex on Nymphenburger Straße should be sold.
The interim considerations of the Free State to convert the building from the 1970s on their own and create living space in it are obsolete. Just like the construction itself: In the coming year, it will be replaced by a new criminal judicial center on Leonrodplatz.
The Ministry of Building pointed out that “from a private initiative” could be created in the existing judicial complex of additional living space. The Free State would be outside. “We are already in the first discussions with the state capital of Munich,” said Bernreiter. It is about affordable living space: “The pure creation of luxury apartments is not an option.”
“To sell the property to a private investor and then put responsibility to the city would not be able to beat cynicism,” said Anne Hübner, the SPD’s co-faction leader in the city council, which was the only one of the leading local politicians on the long weekend. The Free State of the Free State in Munich is “a single tragedy, from the old academy to the punitive justice center so far,” she criticized: “It would be the task of Bavaria to ensure affordable living space at this point.”
Corresponding plans were available for the approximately 17,500 square meter plot with its 50,000 square meters of floor space near the Stiglmaierplatz, i.e. in Munich’s best location. Initially, it was about apartments for state employees. In February 2023, Construction Minister Bernreiter assured: “Our stipulation is clear. We want to build as many apartments as possible.”
In August 2024, only a year ago, “opportunities for the creation of affordable living space on the property” were examined by the state housing associations Bayernheim and Stadabau, as a spokesman assured. At the time, the examination was open that a demolition of the building was examined as well as a conversion of the inventory.
In view of the tense budgetary situation, the Free State had to “think well” how the existing money can be “best affordable living space”, Bernreiter now explained the turnaround. There are “better options” than the old building in Maxvorstadt. Elsewhere, the Free State can “create much easier and also significantly more affordable apartments”. Where this should be done in the Munich metropolitan area was not in the message.
As a spokesman for the ministry confirmed on request, the Free State is “interested in a sensible reuse of the property”. How this can be designed in detail is now “the subject of the contract negotiations with interested investors and the state capital of Munich”.
SPD parliamentary group leader Hübner called for the avoided sale of the building at least “to bind to corresponding social obligations of the future owner”. It could not be in the interests of Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) to “design the residential prices in Munich only in the sense of investors and exclusively at the expense of people”.
A private initiative founded by architects called “Justice Center” had developed various usage concepts that are also grown to the general public, for which the striking building could have been preserved. Her motto: “Cancel off”.
In times of the climate crisis, one has to avoid wasting energy unnecessarily. A demolition and a new building would release many greenhouse gases. The initiative also saw the opportunity to “create an exemplary, commercial place for the city in a converted judicial center”. These ideas are also likely to be obsolete.
