Building permit or false alarm? Dispute over Eimsbüttel's Osterstrasse 174!

Building permit or false alarm? Dispute over Eimsbüttel's Osterstrasse 174!

In Eimsbüttel there is something new to report every day and the topic of Osterstrasse 174 is also picking up speed again. In a district where numerous buildings are empty, the house in question represents an interesting case. On May 15, 2025, the Eimsbüttel left-wing faction submitted a request to the district office to convert the front building at Osterstrasse 174. It was determined that the building permit for the property had expired and there was no new application. But the owner Georg Graubner objected and announced that the building permit was still valid. In fact, the renovation project has been going on since the summer of 2017 and involves adding more floors and building a new house in the backyard. While a new building has already been built in the back yard, nothing has happened in the front building yet.

After some back and forth, the district office finally corrected its previous statement. A wonderfully concise error that was due to a technical change. The owner plans to create ten apartments and two commercial units in the front building. Construction work is expected to be completed by the end of next year. Construction work started the moment the last apartment became available in March of this year. Tenants lived there until then and were given enough time to move as extensive work on the roof and stairwell was imminent.

Current status of construction work

So why is there no visible progress since August 2024? The truth is that the last tenants only recently moved out and the renovation work can only begin now that the house is finally empty. This is a good opportunity to put the promised expansion plans into action, but it must be said that the prospect of further return of former tenants after the renovation is rather slim.

The confusion over building permits and the fact that the building has been vacant for some time raise questions. This is where the question of misappropriation authorization comes into play. This was granted on March 13, 2024 to enable partial demolition as a basis for the planned renovation and expansion. Apparently a new building permit is required for the necessary renovation work, and so far the owner has not submitted a new application. Another problem that the Eimsbüttel district assembly would like to explore is the possible revocation of the permit.

A platform for vacancy information

In a nationwide context, vacancies are a pressing issue in many cities. On January 21, 2025, Federal Construction Minister Klara Geywitz launched an online platform called “Potential Vacancy”, which offers municipalities and other initiatives information on the reactivation of vacant properties. The aim is to find solutions to combat the housing shortage in Germany. Interesting examples from various regions show that empty buildings have often been successfully converted into living space through creative approaches.

It remains to be seen what concrete steps will now be taken at Osterstrasse 174. The latest data shows that there are both challenges and opportunities for the revitalization of housing. Eimsbüttel could take a pioneering role here, for example by supporting initiatives that promote the use of vacant properties.

How the renovation at Osterstrasse 174 will continue remains exciting. Construction work is just getting started and the goal of creating new living space remains a priority.

For more information, visit the respective articles on eimsbuetteler-nachrichten.de, bv-hh.de and bbsr.bund.de.