Is the "Presidium" in Frankfurt still a mere pipe dream?

The iconic police headquarters building in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, built in 1914 by Richard Wiesmann, finds itself in a state of limbo following the insolvency of developer Gerchgroup in 2023. The company, who purchased the property from the state of Hesse for around 212 million euros in 2018, had planned a large-scale redevelopment, known as "The Presidency," with an estimated investment sum of about 800 million euros.

The project, which included a 175-meter-high tower and six other six-story buildings on a 15,000 square meter site, was designed by Meixner Schlüter Wendt. It encompassed office space, apartments, gastronomy, hotel use, a publicly accessible sky bar, a kindergarten, a new sports hall, and a canteen for the neighboring Falk school. The listed old building of the former police headquarters was to be preserved and renovated in a historically appropriate manner.

The police headquarters moved to a new building on Adickesallee in 2002 and has been largely vacant since. Despite a long planning phase and repeated attempts at repurposing, the site remains undeveloped to this day.

With the insolvency of Gerchgroup, it is currently unclear whether a new investor will take over the project or an alternative plan for the property will be developed. The city of Frankfurt is pursuing the procedure to potentially influence a future use or resale of the former police headquarters.

The insolvency was attributed to significantly increased interest rates and construction costs. Given the current economic conditions in the real estate sector, it is questionable whether construction will begin in the coming years. Until a new project carrier is named, the former police headquarters will remain an unused area in the heart of the city.

The building, a significant example of Wilhelmine administrative architecture in Frankfurt, was destroyed during air raids on Frankfurt in World War II and was fully restored in 1954. Its cultural monument status under the Hessian Heritage Protection Act underscores its historical significance and architectural heritage.

As the city waits for a resolution, the future of this iconic building hangs in the balance, leaving many to wonder what lies ahead for this historic landmark in Frankfurt's skyline.

Is the "Presidium" in Frankfurt still a mere pipe dream?