The city of Mainz is making further progress with the elderly care group Emeis, the owner of the former “City-Hotel Neubrunnenhof” at Große Bleiche 22. The property’s visual and structural condition had been the subject of public debate for some time, as litter and feces had created a repulsive scene. Now that discussions between Mayor Nino Haase and Emeis have led to a practical and straightforward arrangement for several cleaning operations—the costs of which Emeis has covered—further steps are planned.  

Mayor Nino Haase: “We are pleased with Emeis’s cooperative attitude, especially since we have now agreed to install wooden facades in the former entrance areas due to recurring contamination, in order to permanently prevent further contamination. These steps will be carried out following Emeis’s commitment on Thursday and Friday of this week. In addition, the implementation of potential pest control measures in the courtyard area is under discussion. Once these steps are completed, windows and the facade may be covered with “vacancy” signage—a service the Economic Development Agency has recently begun offering to make vacant commercial properties more attractive. The Economic Development Agency has held out the prospect of a possible grant to Emeis in order to encourage the current owner’s interest in this measure. We are currently still in close communication regarding this.” 

The state capital remains focused on this property in the heart of the city, according to Haase: “We’re staying persistent and have justified hope for lasting improvements.” Cleanup measures have been carried out, and planning to seal off access is now underway, Haase said: “Even with the—partially subsidized—installation of ‘vacancy’ decals to enhance the building’s appearance, I definitely see interest on the part of the owner in optimizing the property’s appearance with attractive designs on the windows and facades.”

All of this should also be viewed against the backdrop that the Frankfurt-based owner, Emeis, is no longer pursuing the planned construction project—for which a valid building permit has been in place for well over two years—due to changed market conditions, and is already actively seeking to sell the building complex. 

Mayor Nino Haase does not wish to comment on any alleged interest on the part of the city: “We are happy to facilitate contact with Emeis in the event of expressions of interest and, naturally, remain strongly interested in the positive development of this central downtown area,” said Haase. 

For now, however, the priority is to seize and capitalize on the short-term momentum for rapid visual improvements.