The City Council met: What’s next for the Güterschuppen site at Connewitz S-Bahn station? + Video

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Leipzig did indeed purchase the former goods shed at Connewitz S-Bahn station in 2024. However, the city is not alone on the site of the former goods yard. The discount retailer ALDI has acquired its own plot of land there from Deutsche Bahn, on which it plans to build a new ALDI supermarket. However, the plot is too small to accommodate the supermarket, car parks and access roads.

This is why ALDI has signalled to the city that it is interested in purchasing the goods shed site. But simply selling it on again? Several city councillors from the Left Party were not keen on this idea.

This is because the city would lose important leeway in designing the planned park-and-ride facility and in the possible future use of the goods shed. The solution does not, therefore, necessarily have to involve a complete sale to ALDI, even though ALDI already holds a right of way on the municipal plot.

The motion tabled by the Left Party councillors stated: “In 2024, the land at Connewitz S-Bahn station, which is intended for the construction of a park-and-ride facility, was acquired by the city from Deutsche Bahn. In accordance with Resolution VII-A-00941-NF-02-ÄA-01, an assessment is to be carried out to determine whether the sections of land comprising the former goods shed with its loading bay can be used for cultural purposes, in addition to their use as a park-and-ride facility.

This assessment has now been completed. Use for purposes including artists’ studios, band rehearsal rooms, catering facilities, etc. is therefore possible. However, the cost of refurbishing the building has been estimated at a minimum of 1.3 million euros. According to the response to enquiry VIII-F-01468-AW-01, the city therefore intends to sell the plot of land together with the building.

The proposers suggest instead that the site be granted under a leasehold. The sale of land and buildings is strategically misguided and robs the city of its scope for development. In the past, the City Council has spoken out clearly against the sale of municipal properties. This should also apply to those that have only just been acquired.”

Furthermore – as Clemens Schülke, the councillor responsible for economic affairs, noted at the council meeting on 1 July – ALDI is not the only prospective buyer. The city is currently still examining how the various interests regarding the Connewitz S-Bahn station can be reconciled.

And this is how he understands the Left Party’s motion, said Schülke: To set the whole matter aside for the time being and examine it in detail. The administration then intends to inform the City Council of the findings in the fourth quarter. After all, this is not just about the ALDI supermarket, but also about the micro-flats ALDI plans to build on the site. Would that then be compatible with the city’s plans? Left Party city councillor Juliane Nagel had her doubts on this point, even though she welcomed the city’s intention to provide information in the autumn on the options for dealing with the Güterschuppen site.

AfD prejudices about Connewitz

It was, in fact, to be expected that an AfD city councillor such as Roland Ulbrich would seize the opportunity to once again deliver his tirade about ‘woke’ and ‘left-wing’ Connewitz, even though the Left Party’s motion did not concern the future occupant of the Güterschuppen at all.

It was also clear from Ulbrich’s contemptuous choice of words – when he spoke of a “woke free-for-all” – that he was not interested in making a serious proposal. This is not only disrespectful in a council meeting; it also reveals a lack of knowledge about the neighbourhood, as Thomas Kumbernuß (Die PARTEI), visibly annoyed by the AfD’s underhand attacks, pointed out.

After all – as Left Party city councillor Juliane Nagel pointed out – 1,500 people had signed a petition opposing the micro-flats planned by ALDI.

And even though CDU city councillor Karsten Albrecht argued that every unit of housing in Leipzig helps to ease the housing situation, this is a highly contentious issue in Connewitz.

This is because the micro-flats would cause the average rent in this part of Connewitz to rise significantly. And the fear shared by many Connewitz residents – that they will no longer be able to afford a flat in Connewitz in future – is entirely justified.

Time for review

But this is an issue that needs to be clarified in the city’s discussions with ALDI. And the Left Party’s motion was really only concerned with securing a time buffer for these discussions. The motion also pointed out, incidentally, that there has been a city council resolution since 2020 regarding the cultural use of the goods shed:

“The Lord Mayor is instructed to examine cultural uses (e.g. band rehearsal rooms or studios) for part of the old warehouses at Connewitz S-Bahn station as soon as the purchase of plot 504 from DB has been completed. This assessment must take precedence over any other proposed use.”

The interjections from the AfD and the CDU thus clearly missed the point, as Juliane Nagel noted. The AfD’s motion to sell the goods shed without fail was subsequently rejected by 24 votes to 36. Incidentally, the administration had agreed with the proposal put forward by the Left Party councillors and had promised to provide an update on the status of negotiations in the autumn:

“The administration will submit a final decision paper to the City Council by the end of the fourth quarter of 2026 at the latest, setting out the further development of the property, taking into account both the legal framework and the urban planning implications in the surrounding area.”

In other words, precisely what actually provides the council groups with a basis for a sensible decision – and thus exactly what The Left had been calling for. The motion tabled by The Left then secured the necessary majority on 1 July, with 31 votes in favour, 24 against and six abstentions. By autumn, everyone will be a bit wiser. Almost everyone.