Overgrowth and plans

Problems after the closure of Tyrolean Kika stores

The former site in East Tyrol looks overgrown. Supernova explains that the area is being maintained.(Bild: Martin Oberbichler)

The Tyrolean Kika stores in Imst, Wörgl and Nußdorf-Debant were closed more than a year ago. There are plans for the buildings and associated areas. Unauthorized use of the parking areas - camping, drift racing and the like - led to strict surveillance.

It was a shock when it was announced in June 2023 that the furniture chain Kika/Leiner would be closing three locations in Tyrol at the end of July. 170 employees were left without work - as the "Krone" reported. Weeks before the closure, it became known that the owner at the time, René Benko, had sold the properties to the Supernova Group.

The Lienz and Wörgl properties will undergo ongoing maintenance, which will also include looking after the outdoor facilities. Naturally, there are no costs for the towns.

Matthias Bitzan, Supernova

Property in Imst sold again
In August 2024, the situation around the closed sites looks different. The property in Imst has already been sold. "As far as I know, the new owner is currently preparing a project," explains Matthias Bitzan from Supernova. The situation is different for the buildings in Lienz and Wörgl.

The former site in East Tyrol looks overgrown. Supernova explains that the area is being maintained.(Bild: Martin Oberbichler)

These are still owned by Supernova. The company did not want to reveal any further plans when asked by "Krone".

Private parking is not permitted. Unauthorized use by campers, drift races, trucks, buses, etc. unfortunately got out of hand. Soiling and damage to the facilities is at our expense.

Matthias Bitzan, Supernova

Maintenance is a sensitive issue, drift racing is a problem
Anyone driving past the former site in East Tyrol - more precisely in Nußdorf-Debant - will notice the almost neglected area, with torn branches, long grass and garbage. Supernova is responsible for this. Bitzan explains: "The Lienz and Wörgl properties are subject to ongoing maintenance and the outdoor facilities are also looked after. Of course, there are no costs for the towns."

Nußdorf-Debant's mayor Andreas Pfurner adds: "It's none of the municipality's business."

Unauthorized parking, on the other hand, is a concern. Following incidents, parking space monitoring was introduced. A sign at the entrance with almost endless conditions of use underpins this: "Private parking is not permitted. Unauthorized use by campers, drift races, trucks, buses etc. unfortunately got out of hand. The soiling and damage to the facilities is at our expense."

There was one exception in East Tyrol. There, the area was made available free of charge as a parking lot for the fan mile during the European Football Championships. According to Pfurner, the negotiations were "not difficult at all".