FAQ’s
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1) How long has the air base existed at the Fürstenfeldbruck location?
Starting in 1935, numerous autarchic air bases were built as part of the National Socialist armament. The Luftkriegsschule Four in Fürstenfeldbruck – a prestigious military object.
On April 29, 1945, the American army liberated Fürstenfeldbruck from Nazi rule and used the air base as an airport for operations and supplies. From 1953 on, “Fursty” was an important training center for the USA and other NATO countries. On December 14, 1957, the air base was officially handed over to the German Air Force. Fürstenfeldbruck is still the central training center for young officers of the German Air Force.
With the abandonment of military use at the air base, not only an almost 80-year-old aviation tradition but also an equally long common history of the location and the city of Fürstenfeldbruck comes to an end.
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2) Why does the Bundeswehr leave the site?
As part of the Bundeswehr’s reorientation, numerous Bundeswehr locations throughout Germany have been restructured, scaled down or abandoned since the 1990s.
Military air traffic at the Fürstenfeldbruck site was already stopped in 1997. On October 26, 2011, the Federal Ministry of Defence announced that it would also transfer the military properties in the Fürstenfeldbruck municipal area. This marks the start of the complete closure of the site, which is planned for 2026 according to the current situation.
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3) On which floor is the area?
The entire air base area is located in the community areas of Fürstenfeldbruck and Maisach.
The airfield and various facilities directly associated with flight operations are located in the Maisach municipality, covering an area of about 280 hectares. In Fürstenfeldbruck, the majority of the buildings are located on an area of about 200 hectares.
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4) Which buildings are located in the “Fursty” air base?
Today there are more than 200 buildings spread throughout the area. In the central area of the air base with its airfield, aircraft hangars, supply buildings, sports facilities, accommodation and training facilities, the former so-called “Luftkriegsschule” and “Kilometerbau” are the most important core elements. The majority of this building stock from the 1930s is classified as a listed monument.
Formerly built by the Americans for their stationed soldiers and their families, the housing estates in the west are located outside the fenced-in military compound and now house civilian housing.
Within the scope of a temporary building permit, BMW is using two former aircraft hangars on the northeastern edge of the “Driving Academy Maisach” for the “Maisach Driving Safety Centre”.
Since 2014, the government of Upper Bavaria has been operating an initial reception facility for refugees in the building of the former Luftkriegsschule, which is affiliated to the Bavarian barracks in Munich and is therefore referred to by the state authorities as a “Dependance”.
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5) What is the area?
The Fürstenfeldbruck area of the air base has a total area of almost 200 hectares. That’s the equivalent:
- around six percent of the entire urban area
(in comparison: The proportion of conversion areas in Munich is 1.6 percent) - about 280 football fields
- around the entire city center between Amper-Puchermühlstraße‑B 471-Dachauer Straße East
It can be assumed that about 76 hectares (39 percent) of this area will be available for development; this corresponds to about 15 percent of the currently existing building land in Fürstenfeldbruck.
- around six percent of the entire urban area
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6) Who is the owner?
The property is owned by the German Federal Institute for Real Estate Management (BImA).
It is the central real estate service provider of the federal government. Her focus is on real estate management for the majority of the federal government’s official real estate.
Another task is the sale of those properties that are no longer needed for the purposes of the Confederation. The sale may only be carried out in accordance with commercial principles and at full value.
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7) Who owns the property?
The area and the buildings are in large parts still under military use by the Bundeswehr.
However, individual buildings are also rented to civilian users. Some sports clubs from Fürstenfeldbruck and the surrounding municipalities can use the sports grounds.
The military release of these areas is planned for 2026, according to the current official announcement.
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8) What is the role of the city?
The city is initially responsible for municipal planning sovereignty and the development task and thus decides on the future building and planning law.
In addition, the city can exercise a central control function in the run-up to future developments. This includes tasks such as the definition of urban development goals and framework conditions, as well as the moderation and coordination of process flows.
The city also aims to inform and involve citizens and stakeholders.
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9) Can the City of Fürstenfeldbruck plan the area on its own?
Basically, the city can plan the area on its own.
At present, this is limited by the still existing dedication of the airbase area as a military area. The planning sovereignty of the city of Fürstenfeldbruck therefore only comes into effect when the area of the air base has been formally undedicated to military forces.
Planning instruments are the land use plan (as preparatory urban land-use planning) and the development plan (as binding urban land-use planning). They are the city’s own responsibility.
With such a large area as the conversion area of the air base, regional effects for neighboring municipalities and the region can be expected. Therefore, planning must be coordinated on a regional basis.
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10) How long will it take to build?
In the course of a transformation of conversion areas, it must be clarified beforehand whether contaminated sites and explosive ordnance are present, in what condition the roads, pipelines, possibly buildings, etc. are located. Extensive demolition, de-sealing and redevelopment measures may be necessary to prepare the site for civilian use.
In addition, numerous expert opinions have to be commissioned and development concepts were drawn up. Then the realization can begin in partial steps.
This process is expected to take place over a period of 15 to 20 years.
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11) Can properties be acquired?
In principle, individual plots of land can be acquired by BImA – after deduction of the Bundeswehr and its military devaluation – unless other federal or state authorities declare a need.
In addition to the city, investors and private individuals could also be interested. The city has a first-time access right for appropriately justified municipal purposes.
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12) What should be done with the existing buildings?
The structural condition of the existing buildings is very different; large parts of them are classified as historical monuments.
The urban development policy goal is to create a new, contemporary district that offers sustainable housing according to today’s needs. To this end, selected buildings with outstanding urban planning and suitable buildings are to be preserved and modernized for subsequent use. In addition, new residential buildings can be constructed that meet the requirements for healthy and energetically high-quality living.
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13) What visions / opportunities do the city and the region have in relation to the area?
For the city council and the administration, the conversion of the air base area is a unique task with long-term significance for the future development of the city and the district. This includes social, cultural and spatially innovative opportunities as well as economic risk potential.
With the departure of the Bundeswehr, the unique opportunity is created to redevelop the area of the air base and to integrate its identity into the urban area in the sense of a Brucker identity. The vision of development is summarized in the city council’s guidelines.
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14) What are the city’s guidelines?
According to the city of Fürstenfeldbruck, a new and attractive part of the city is to be created, which is oriented towards urban and innovative urban structures. Mixed structures are also provided for, which allow demand-related further development and take into account the principle of the “city of short distances”. The existing, unmistakable open space qualities are to be maintained and further developed.
This development is to take place in individual, successive construction phases and is to be controlled by the city of Fürstenfeldbruck and its decision-making bodies.
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15) Why does the city want to create commercial space?
The creation of jobs is a central social and municipal concern. It is important for a city like Fürstenfeldbruck that there is sufficient commercial space with different qualities.
The location of the air base is characterized by a favorable location between Augsburg and Munich and good accessibility. The region has a high potential for qualified workers. In order to ensure the development of the location (and thus also the district) into a modern and efficient business location, a clear location profile must be created. Today, it is also crucial for companies to have a high quality of leisure, education and cultural activities.
The departure of the Bundeswehr will result in the loss of 800 soldiers and the jobs of 700 civil servants. These could be compensated for by the establishment of innovation and technology centers. All possibilities to support the local economy should be exploited.The scope and type of the designation of commercial areas should be based on the results of a market and demand analysis.
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16) Why does the city want to create residential areas?
As a core area of everyday life, living contributes significantly to the quality and image of a city and is the basis for identification and local ties.
Demographic and social conditions are causing the population figures in the entire region to increase steadily. This leads to a shortage and increases in the price of housing, endangering social stability and impairing the attractiveness of the economic location in the long term.
The city of Fürstenfeldbruck, therefore, sees the creation of affordable, demand-oriented living space as a core task of urban development and the fulfillment of municipal tasks.
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17) Why are mixed structures forward-looking and sustainable?
Functioning and multicultural neighborhoods and changing mobility patterns will shape the city of tomorrow.
As a result of the economic and technological change, the proportion of businesses that work in a way that is compatible with housing is increasing. Technology and service-oriented businesses are no longer primarily located in the “classic” industrial estate but are looking for locations with good surroundings and urban structures. A mixture of living, working, education and leisure time is also a long-term means of avoiding traffic. When socially different neighborhoods form, which support each other, a positive urban culture can develop in the sense of a Brucker identity.
The 2015 guideline decision, therefore, follows a consistent mix of uses.
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18) How much living and working space should be created?
According to the current situation, the aim is to attract between four and five thousand inhabitants within a development period of 15 to 20 years and to create 1500 to 4000 jobs. For example, 200 to 330 more people would live in the city each year – which, with a current population of around 38,000, would mean an annual increase of 0.9 percent. At the same time, between 60 and 265 new jobs could be created – that would mean annual growth of up to 1.9 percent.
This corresponds to the basic objectives of state and regional planning as well as to the recommendations of the “Spatial Development Strategy of the District” (RES).
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19) Why does the city want to create leisure and sports facilities?
Sport is written in capital letters in Fürstenfeldbruck. There is already a sports center in the city center and another one in the west of Bruck is being planned. The existing sports fields in the air base are to be acquired. In an overall concept for sports facilities, the need is to be assessed, measures are to be defined and financial planning has to be drawn up.
It is planned to make provision for the existing forest areas, in particular west of the air base, for leisure, recreation and nature experience close to the city center. This requires an early coordination with nature conservation concerns.
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20) Has the city already started planning?
On 13 September 2016, the City Council approved the draft for the 61st amendment of the FNP “Airbase” and instructed the administration to initiate the legal procedures in accordance with the Building Code. The draft FNP is based on the 2015 guidelines laid down by the city council.
On 27 September 2017, the city council passed a moratorium.
The four municipalities directly involved – the cities of Fürstenfeldbruck and Olching and the municipalities of Emmering and Maisach – will be working together with District Administrator Thomas Karmasin to develop a joint development concept. All individual urban planning plans are to be suspended until 31 July 2018. If there is no workable draft after the deadline, each municipality can resume its own planning.Related links:
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21) Does the city want to acquire the land or parts of it?
The realization of the development concept is basically easier to accomplish if the city is in possession of a large part or all plots of land. There are various possibilities for financing and realization of the site, which have to be agreed and negotiated with BImA as the landowner. In view of the enormous volume of space available, it can be assumed that different financing models will be used in the individual sub-areas, depending on the urban planning objectives.
According to the Federal Budget Code, BImA is only allowed to sell the plots of land at their full market value; a discounted purchase is only possible under special conditions and to a very limited extent.
The city has passed a charter of pre-emptive rights.
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22) Can the city cope with this financially?
An acquisition can only be made in sections of the project that makes sense from a planning point of view (justifiable increase in population) and can be managed financially for the city. Urban development concept, acquisition, and resale must be optimally coordinated.
In contrast to other parts of Bavaria, the prices for building land in the Munich region are enormously high. The city can thus charge the seller for consequential costs such as road and canal, schools and kindergartens as well as contaminated sites and explosive ordnance. In the sense of a socially responsible land use, the city pursues the aim that subsequent costs do not have to be financed by the general public via taxpayers’ money or fees. In addition, it is important to the city that the new building law also links socio-political goals. This means that many citizens should be able to find affordable housing or purchase property.