Instead of civil servants' offices

Apartments to be built on state properties

The suitability of the state's office buildings for residential construction is being examined. The results should be available by the middle of the year.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

What will happen to properties that the state no longer needs after the service center is built? The signs are pointing to residential construction.

The state is sitting on a large real estate treasure trove. A total of 661 properties throughout Salzburg are owned by taxpayers. Not even the state government knows exactly what is happening on these properties. Almost two years ago, the SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria) asked the provincial parliament whether and how many of the properties were being rented out or used for their own purposes. Quite simply, nobody knows. But that is set to change.

As is well known, the new state service center is currently being built near the main train station at a cost of more than 200 million euros. When large parts of the state administration move in there in 2027, some office buildings in the city and state will become vacant.

The suitability of the state's office buildings for residential use is being examined. The results should be available by the middle of the year.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Up to 200 apartments are to be built in Michael-Pacher-Straße after the state administration moves out.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

"The provincial property administration is currently drawing up an overview of what is owned by the province," reports ÖVP parliamentary group chairman Wolfgang Mayer. By the end of June, the provincial parliament is to receive a report on how properties owned by the province that become vacant are to be utilized or used in the future.

A complete overview of the properties is in progress
In several motions, the opposition parties have called for the land to be used for subsidized housing. The state government's considerations are also moving in this direction. "If the land is suitable, preference should be given to subsidized housing," says Mayer.

By the end of the year, there should be a complete overview of all properties owned by the state. With an urgent motion in today's parliamentary session, the SPÖ wants to ensure that this overview is particularly comprehensive and that a possible use for subsidized housing is actually addressed.

The details will show that the government and the opposition are not quite on the same page when it comes to subsidized housing. While the city of Salzburg, for example, primarily wants to see subsidized rental apartments in its area, the state government is also interested in subsidized ownership.