VILLACH'S QUARTER PROJECTS - THE TRANSFORMATION OF VILLACH'S DOWNTOWN
Villach is constantly growing and developing. In order to keep up with the times and to continue to shape the city as an attractive business location and an ideal place to live and work for all Villach residents, city policy has been focusing on comprehensive urban development for many years. Numerous large and small construction projects are currently being implemented in the city, on the Drau, or are about to start. The district projects of the city of Villach form a central element of the urban planning goals and are decisive for the future design of the urban space. In 2023, especially after the completion of the “MaxPalais” housing project, the redesign of the weekly market in Villach - “Villacher Wochenmarkt” - will be the focus of events.
THE RESIDENTIAL PROJECT “MAXPALAIS”
The first of the four major projects in the city of Villach, which are now to be implemented step by step over the coming years, is the “MaxPalais” project worth 50 million. Bahnhofstrasse, a completely redesigned district, is to be completed in mid-2023 with the opening of the project after a construction period of around two and a half years. In addition to more than 100 apartments, a hotel, an event center, a medical center and a kindergarten, this will also include 1,000 m² of retail space, an underground car park and new green spaces.
THE REDESIGN OF THE VILLACH WEEKLY MARKET
The weekly market in Villach on Burgplatz near the Draulände, where numerous people romp about every Wednesday and Saturday morning in search of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat products, garden products, wood carvings or pottery, contributes significantly to the revitalization of Villach's city centre. The current location with space for 20 stands in the market hall and 49 mobile stands on the approx. 900 m² outdoor area has been exhausted and therefore leaves no room for further developments.
Therefore, in 2019, the Villach city politicians agreed to move the market to the nearby Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Platz in order to modernize the weekly market and make it even more attractive. The former hotel Kasino and its two neighboring buildings were acquired by the city of Villach for a total value of 4.2 million euros, which should offer enough space for the redesign of the weekly market. This is where the multifunctional “Quartierhaus josefmarkt Villach” is to be built, which will be operated five days a week. The contemporary concept is aimed at a modern market hall and open spaces that invite you to stroll and taste, and make the market the most modern in the Alps-Adriatic region. The Europe-wide tender for the construction of the quarter house has been running since the beginning of December. The project is seen as the most important measure for the further development of Villach's city center.
NEXT STOP: WESTBAHNHOF & NIKOLAI QUARTIER
Two more new districts are to be created on the ÖBB site at Westbahnhof and on the site between the brewery and the hospital LKH Villach. A social housing building, attractive leisure facilities, and areas for commercial use are to be built on the 2.6 hectare area near the Westbahnhof. The first preliminary and exploratory work has already been carried out for this - the start of construction of the project is planned for 2024/25. The Nikolai Quartier (NQ for short) is the last of the four major construction projects that is still in the middle of the planning phase. One thing is certain, the two-hectare area near the hospital is to be made available for a modern mix of business premises, business premises, apartments, medical practices and supplementary offers to the LKH as well as for educational and care facilities, underground car parks and green spaces.
