Building still deserted

Mysterious standstill in Vienna’s ruined department store

The building plans now bear the new owner's logo. Otherwise, not much has changed since a year ago.(Bild: APA/PHILIP STOTTER)

Since bankrupt René Benko, nothing has happened to the concrete skeleton on Mariahilfer Strasse. New owner, new opportunities? For five months now, the ruined department store on Mariahilfer Strasse has had a new owner, the Viennese Stumpf real estate group.

From the town hall to the district to the bankruptcy trustee: everyone had expected the department store construction site on Mariahilfer Straße to reopen quickly in October 2024 after real estate tycoon Georg Stumpf put 100.5 million euros on the table for René Benko's bankrupt ruins. Now spring is approaching and the building site is quieter than ever.