Locally anchored public limited company for business start-ups
(North-Rhine Westphalia)
Photography: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
The former sites of the coal-mine Zollverein in Essen (pop. 590,000) are in the north on the city border with Gelsenkirchen. They shaped the development of the urban districts over a period of almost 150 years. The economic structural change left behind a high level of unemployment, low income and a high degree of modernisation needs in the urban district’s housing stock with the closing of the coal-mine (1986) and of the coking plant (1993). At the beginning of the 1990s, the alliance “Essener Konsens” (Consensus of Essen), an informal network consisting of people in positions of responsibility from politics, the economy, administration, educational institutions and other institutions whose aim is a coordinated approach to reducing unemployment and increasing employment opportunities, came into existence. The former industrial buildings of the coal-mine, some of which were declared as World Cultural Heritage sites by the UNESCO, developed into an important building block of the structural change in the Ruhr area.
Photography: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
In the former central training workshop of Ruhrkohle AG on the area of the former pit 4/5/11 of the coal-mine Zollverein, a new business centre (36,000 m²) was set up using funds from the federal state Nordrhein-Westphalia and the city and also with private equity capital. In several steps of urban development conversion, office, production and storage area was first created, which is adaptable to the needs and possibilities of the tenant companies regarding size and equipment. Furthermore, conference rooms and conference equipment is available for the companies at special rates. Coaching and diverse consulting services are offered in collaboration with a partner of the “Consensus of Essen”, the business start-up network Essen. Additional services (secretariat services, payroll accounting, bistro etc.) are offered by tenant companies in the new business centre. At the end of 2003, approx. 45 companies with just under 300 jobs were tenants in the centre. A balanced mix of small and medium-sized enterprises from all industries is aimed for (trade, service providers, craft, industry).
Beyond this range of services, Triple Z is open for artistic activities. The former wages hall of the pit was already used in 2003 as space for local and regional art exhibitions. The conversion of a further adjoining building, the former signal tower, was completed in 2003. Here, international artists are to receive a temporary living and working place.
Employment and qualification measures were included in the development process of Triple Z from the start. They made a significant contribution to making the conversion of the buildings, the development of the operative business organisation and stringent advising possible - already at a time where the economic efficiency of the operating company was not yet given due to no or too low income from rent.
The centre is operated in the legal form of a public limited company which was founded in November 1996. On the board of directors and the management board, there are representatives from local politics, associations of craftsmen and the economy, the savings bank and the city council. Associations, companies, public and private people hold bearer shares. This guarantees broad support of the project. A total of 41,000 of the issued shares have been subscribed since Triple Z AG’s foundation in November 1996.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Foundation of a public limited company |
| 1997 | Start of redevelopment work |
| 1998 | Completion of the 1st construction phase (wages hall, offices, pavilion) |
| 1999 | Completion of the 2nd construction phase (former locker-room and magazine) |
| 2002 | Completion of the 3rd construction phase (former industrial halls 6-9) |
| 2003 | Nomination of Triple Z as official Agenda 21 NRW-Best-Practice example |
Photography: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
Photography: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
Recognition in the 1998 competition “Nachhaltige Stadtentwicklungsprojekte umsetzen” (“Implementing sustainable urban development projects“) of the Ministerium für Arbeit und Soziales, Stadtentwicklung, Kultur und Sport des Landes NRW (MASSKS) (Ministry of work and social affairs, urban development, culture and sport of the Federal State NRW)
Photography: Robert Schmell, BBSR im BBR
By interlinking structural, labour market and urban district development policy aims, a public limited company for establishing a new business centre was initiated. Supported by an informal association of important stakeholders from the city, Triple Z is an example for the successful combination of local employment policy and urban district stabilisation going through structural change.
The projekt site ist to be found at postal code: 45372 - town: Essen - street: Katernberger Straße 107.
Record inserted on 01.03.2004 by Lehrstuhl für Planungstheorie und Stadtplanung, RWTH Aachen and updated by theFederal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) within the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR).
Last update: 13.02.2009
