Meeting of the municipal council of 9 July 2018

Question by Paul Galles

On 22 March, plans were unveiled for the future development of the Kirchberg district. This interesting and ambitious project, which has garnered widespread media attention, will significantly increase both the number of residents (from 3,600 currently to 22,000 in the long term) and workers (from 38,000 currently to 65,000 in the long term). It is essential that a better balance is found between residents and workers, although the difference in absolute terms will increase by more than 8,000, from around 34,400 currently to 43,000 in the long term. This means that the scissors effect is no longer increasing at the same rate, but neither is it decreasing. Therefore, I would like to put the following question to the college of aldermen: 

• What means does the City of Luxembourg have compared with Fonds du Kirchberg (Kirchberg Fund), the Ministry of Housing (Ministère du Logement) and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure (Ministère du développement durable et des infrastructures) of furthering our ambition of reducing the scissors effect between workers and residents?
• What land does the City of Luxembourg own in Kirchberg on which housing might be built?
• Compared with the purpose of the Fonds de la rénovation de la Vielle Ville (Historical City Centre Renovation Fund), is that of the Fonds du Kirchberg more limited? If so, and if the Fonds du Kirchberg were to close one day, what would this mean for the City of Luxembourg?
• Some interesting community projects have been launched in Kirchberg, including the Quartier Stuff. Could the City encourage these types of projects in Kirchberg's new neighbourhoods, and showcase them as a model for the city's other districts?

Response by Lydie Polfer

The mayor explained that the Fonds d'Urbanisation du Kirchberg (Kirchberg Urbanisation Fund) had been set up in the 1960s, at a time when virtually the entire Kirchberg plateau had been expropriated for the needs of the European institutions. It is managed by a board of directors, but is subordinate, in terms of policy, to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure. In addition, the Fonds d'Urbanisation du Kirchberg owns various plots of land and decides how they are to be used.

In the 1990s, banks moved into the upper section of the plateau, and the Fund sold the land under a long-term lease. In addition to European institutions and banks, it is also home to numerous office buildings and a shopping centre. There are undeveloped plots behind the RTL building and there are plans to move the Lycée Michel Lucius there, thus freeing up its current site in Limpertsberg. The vast Langfur plot is partly owned by the Fonds du Kirchberg and partly by private landowners.
A development plan is to be drawn up in conjunction with the Fund and the private landowners. The plan will mainly focus on housing, but also include offices and shops. There are plans to build residential developments along Boulevard Kennedy, on the right-hand side coming from the city centre. Since there has been some opposition from residents of Weimershof, a 30 m landscaped bed would be used to separate the two areas.
Arcelor Mittal is still planning to develop a large 55,000 m² site behind the Conference Centre, consisting almost entirely of offices.

Since the Fonds d'Urbanisation du Kirchberg had been set up under a 1961 law and is currently transferring its land under a 99-year lease, it should evidently continue operating during that time. By contrast, the Fonds pour la Rénovation de la Vieille Ville was dissolved after serving its purpose. In addition, each development plan in Kirchberg requires approval from the municipal council.

To clarify, the City owns half of the land in Schoettermarial, with the surface area given over to the development plan only a portion of this; it also owns small plots along Boulevard Konrad Adenauer, Rue de Kirchberg and Boulevard Prince Charles, and plots in the Langfur. Several homes are currently being built on municipal land: three houses in Rue de la Lavande and a single-family home on Val des Bons Malades.

Question by Joël Delvaux

On 17 June 2018, the École du Kiem parents' committee, representing more than 500 parents of children at elementary schools in the Kiem, Weimershof and Weimerskirch districts, reported several infrastructural and logistical problems at these establishments.
The urgent points I wish to raise are as follows:

• Unbearably high temperatures in the containers being used as classrooms. The temperatures recorded by teaching staff range from 26° to 36° on sunny days.
• The current teaching resources are insufficient due to an increase in the number of children this year.
• The pedestrian crossing on Rue Anne Beffort is not in an ideal location. Already, two children have been involved in an accident while crossing the road from the containers to the foyer scolaire.

I would therefore like to put the following questions to the college of aldermen:

• What measures are envisaged to address the issue of high temperatures in the containers in hot weather?
• As the Kiem schools are already experiencing a steady increase in the number of new pupils, and considering the number of houses still being built, which will potentially lead to even higher pupil numbers, urgent action is needed. What plans are there to tackle the growing need for infrastructure and contingency for the Kiem district?
• In a bid to improve child safety and to avoid further accidents on Rue Anne Beffort, is it possible to move the pedestrian crossing opposite the school or at least install traffic-calming measures such as flower planters, speed bumps, etc.?

Response by Colette Mart

Alderwoman Mart said that she had recently had a meeting with a delegation from the Kiem parents' association, together with representatives from the Service Architecte-Maintenance (Architecture and Maintenance Department), Service Enseignement (Education Department), Service Foyers Scolaires (Childcare Department), Service Circulation (Traffic Department) and Service Parcs (Parks Department). Given that the population of this district and thus the number of children had increased, parents were questioning whether the staff and infrastructure were sufficient. The infrastructure audit and the provisional estimate of the increase in the number of pupils revealed a higher rate of growth than estimated a few years before.
The plans drawn up for a new school needed to be adapted, delaying construction. However, temporary structures have been put in place for the school and foyer scolaire, and a playground has been built.

For the 2017/2018 school year, there were six Cycle 1 classes and two early learning classes. A request had been lodged with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l'Enfance et de la Jeunesse) to set up an additional class for the start of the next school year. Additional elementary school classes (Cycles 2–4) are also planned.

Parents also expressed their concerns about the high temperatures. These are due to the type of building, although solutions are being examined in conjunction with the Service Architecte. The possibility of installing air conditioning systems was considered, although these might also cause health issues for children and teachers. Therefore, the use of blinds was being considered as an alternative solution. It is important to be able to air the classrooms properly at night, though open windows could pose a security issue.

Regarding traffic, Kirchberg has a 30 km/h zone without pedestrian crossings, so the road could be crossed at any point. Municipal staff were on hand at school bus stops. There is a pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Boulevard Pierre Frieden and Rue Anne Beffort, so there is no point in having another pedestrian crossing 30 m away. It is recommended, therefore, that children should use the existing pedestrian crossing.

Lastly, new plans to expand the school campus will be submitted to the college of aldermen in the autumn. Parents of the schoolchildren concerned will be contacted in due course.

Question by Sylvia Camarda

Since last week, the historic Hôtel des Postes building has been the subject of intense debate on social media, in the press and in the Chamber of Deputies. The conversation revolves around the future of this Renaissance-style building, built in 1908–1910 by the government-commissioned architect Sosthène Weis. In 2017, a design competition was launched to give this listed building a new lease of life. The winner was Vincent Callebaut, who had the idea of converting it into a mixed-use building with offices, shops and apartments, with a glass dome roof inspired by the Reichstag. However, this project was later rejected. The City of Luxembourg then wanted to turn the Hôtel des Postes into a luxury hotel, but the redevelopment work proved to be too extensive. I would therefore like to put the following questions to the college of aldermen:

• What will happen to this wonderful building?
• What will it be used for?
• Is Vincent Callebaut's idea being re-examined?
• Is a new design competition feasible?
• Could the building be used by artists until the renovation work starts, given the shortage of arts centres in the city centre?

Response by Lydie Polfer

The mayor confirmed that the Hôtel des Postes was indeed a historic building which had opened in 1910, designed by the architect Sosthène Weis and built by Achille Giorgetti, and that had been built on top of a part of the old fortress. The building has been vacant for several months, since Post had decided to consolidate its offices in the Gare and Gasperich districts. However, Post's management wants to keep a post office in the city centre.

In 2016, a competition was held and Vincent Callebaut's design, which included shops, offices and housing, had been chosen. However, the project involved a glass dome which was out of keeping with the existing building. The municipal departments pointed out that the glass roof would not be permitted, as the building is situated in the Ville Haute conservation area and has national listed status. The engineering departments had also expressed reservations over the tree-lined terrace which was part of the design. A model was presented on 22 June 2017. The Service Urbanisme requested details of how the restaurant beneath the glass roof would be accessed, but received no response.
At a meeting on 22 June 2017 with the Minister of the Economy (ministre de l’Économie) and the Director General of Post, the City argued that the building was an ideal candidate for a hotel, considering its city centre location and the future tram link. Nothing more was heard until 9 May 2018, when the Director General of Post requested a meeting. At this meeting, it was explained that it would be difficult to convert the building into a hotel, mainly because of its large rooms and concerns about profitability. However, he indicated that he would accept the City and State's decision to go ahead with the hotel project.

In the end, the Callebaut project was abandoned and the architects in charge of the project were informed. The City is committed to making the best use of the building. The suggestion that it be used temporarily by artists is a good idea in the circumstances, although it is up to the minister in charge of the postal service to approve it.