Vienna/Klagenfurt, December 11th 2018 – Deconstruction work has begun on the site K22 “Lederfabrik Dr. Hans Neuner” in Klagenfurt as of 5 December 2018. The approx. 64,000 sqm factory compound has been largely deserted for years. Demolition of the old buildings and the remediation of the partially contaminated areas will allow the site to be reused as an attractive residential area. PORR has planned another information event for the local community in early 2019. The project is set for completion at the end of 2019.
“The growth that Klagenfurt has been experiencing over the decades has edged the Neuner compound ever closer to the city centre from what was once the edge of town. The reconstruction work is having a massive impact on this whole area of the city and making a long-term difference to the development of Klagenfurt. The goal is to add value for the city – and we are happy to be able to contribute to this”, said Kurt Lackner, Managing Director PORR Umwelttechnik GmbH.
The purchasers of the site are currently preparing an integrated zoning and planning concept together with the city of Klagenfurt. It will be founded on an architecture competition, whereby the winning concept will be used as the basis for the zoning and realisation of a modern city quarter.
Demolition works scheduled for March 2019
The remediation of the former leather factory started on 5 December 2018 and the initial preparatory works will be ongoing until 21 December. These include reinforcement and clearing works on the compound, installing the construction cabins and securing the power supply. No work will be carried out during the holidays. From 7 January 2019 the works to clear the compound will continue and decontamination work within the buildings will begin. The actual demolition works are likely to start in March 2019.
PORR has targeted measures in place to protect local communities from dust and air pollution as far as possible. Evidence-based studies related to air pollution, particularly involving fine dust, are already underway.
Funding for the environmental clean-up
As the contamination of the site mostly occurred as the result of wartime damage and before 1959, the cost of remediating the contaminated site is eligible for an 80% subsidy from the clean-up fund (Altlastensanierungsfond). The remaining costs of the clean-up, as well as the decontamination and demolition of the less-contaminated buildings adjacent to the precisely defined contaminated site, will be financed by PORR. The provisional subsidy pledged for the clean-up amounts to EUR 9m.
Tender awarded under best-bidder principle
The eligibility for subsidies meant that it was mandatory that the award process for the remediation works was conducted in line with the Federal Procurement Act (Bundesvergabegesetz). At the start of December PORR Umwelttechnik GmbH was named the best bidder and the lowest bid as part of the two-stage, EU-wide tender process, following in-depth examination of the bids by renowned law firm SHMP, and was thereby awarded the contract for the remediation works. SHMP made sure that the entire tender procedure was realised with the ongoing approval of the relevant funding agency, namely Kommunalkredit Public Consulting GmbH.
Facts and figures at a glance
| Project name | Liegenschaft Altlast K22 “Lederfabrik Dr. Hans Neuner” |
|---|---|
| Client | TEERAG-ASDAG GmbH |
| Contractor | PORR Umwelttechnik GmbH |
| Scope of services | Remediation and clean-up including groundwater treatment, deconstruction and remediation of properties adjacent to the contaminated site |
| Completion | End of 2019 |
| Contract volume | EUR 14.4m |
