Manual for District Centre Managers - the ATCM

18
tion programme for buildings and facades provides
good examples for enhancing the value
of properties as well as the overall appearance
of the area.
Aims
In order to supplement the existing “Hoechst
Modernization Programme”, the MANDIE initiative
for Hoechst was conceptionalized to
provide real estate utilization advisory services.
Through direct advice to owners as well
as indirectly through “bundling” and initiation
of specific projects, MANDIE aims at strengthening
the image of Hoechst.
The MANDIE project area covers the historic,
listed, medieval old city of Hoechst as well as
what is known as Neustadt (enlargement starting
from 1746), which includes the important
baroque palace Bolongaro Palast.
MANDIE is designing and implementing appropriate
measures and instruments to facilitate
investments and new uses for vacant or otherwise
under-utilized properties. Direct support
to the owners, not only of the currently 24 obviously
vacant shops, shall stimulate their motivation
towards an improved utilization.
Approach and Measures
Key to the MANDIE project is the creation of a
local district manager who is approachable in
a local office. Opening the office twice a week
means a low threshold for house owners seeking
advice and support. The following is provided:
Analysis of the property
Design of an integrated strategy
Ownership advice, i.e. prevention of adverse
uses
Promotion of mix of use and acquisition of
new usage potentials.
All measures are coordinated by the “district
manager” (Quartiersmanager) who also facilitates
other local projects that aim to improve
the overall conditions.
Results
During a first round of analysis of the local
economy, the following sectors have been
identified as potentially positive: health sector,
tourism, small retail and services businesses
as well as housing real estate development.
Approaching house owners proved to be extremely
difficult, time consuming and labour
intensive. Apart from complex ownership
structures, the approach of houseowners, who
in their majority are older than 65, is rather defensive
than proactive:
More than 60% of house owners no longer
reside in Hoechst.
Some key properties are owned by institutional
owners who have no actual knowhow
of the local market.
Generally owners re-act rather than act,
there is no strategic thinking.
Private owners often have negative experiences
with tenants, rent arrears, and damages
of the property. Thus, keeping the property vacant,
to them, seems to be economically wiser.
As a result, no investments have been made
for years, and accordingly such properties are
losing in market potential. One major task of
the district manager is to facilitate potential
tenants in respect of their preparedness for investments
in return for reduced rents.
This appeared to be very time consuming for
the district manager. Thus, only by the end of
2010 initial results became apparent, however
with subsequent secondary effects.
At the end of MANDIE, not only five key-properties
have successfully been rented out but at
least for four more properties, investment decisions
have been brought on the way, resulting
in 6,000 m² new or upgraded housing and
another 1,200 m² modernised or newly developed
retail space. Vacancies of ground floor
spaces have dropped from 24 to currently 15.
During implementation it became apparent
that the local stakeholders required constant