In Griesheim in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, a residential area is currently being planned that will attract attention far beyond the city limits.

The new houses with up to 350 apartments, 123 of which are subsidized with low rents, are being built on part of the site of the former August-Euler airfield.

The airfield was named after the aviation pioneer August Euler, who founded the first German airfield and the first German aircraft factory there in 1908.

After the Second World War, the American army mainly stationed helicopters there.

Most of the site has been a nature reserve for years.

A lot of greenery, offers for local supply, inclusive living and an almost emission-free energy supply are in the specifications of the urban development company Griesheim (SEGG).

The company, which is to develop the ten-hectare conversion area on the northern edge of the former airfield, is not run by the city alone, but jointly with the company Sahle Wohnen GmbH.

According to Griesheim Mayor Geza Krebs-Wetzl (CDU), the joint approach gives the city the opportunity to continue to influence the design, realization and marketing of the area.

The project has been in the works for years.

SEGG is to receive planning rights this year, after which development will begin, which is expected to take about a year.

250 lizards relocated

Some old buildings are currently being demolished, including the hangar where the helicopters were stationed.

In addition, around 250 lizards have been relocated to another part of Griesheim's district.

The animals obviously felt at home on the former airfield site and had diligently multiplied there.

Another resettlement project is planned for this year.

According to SEGG Managing Director Jens Gottwald, care should be taken to ensure that animals will continue to feel comfortable in the new residential area in the future.

Among other things, the generous green areas should contribute to this.

Particular attention is paid to the plan to supply the area with energy in as climate-neutral a manner as possible.

Among other things, a so-called ice storage facility is planned for this purpose.

This is an underground cistern filled with water through which liquid is pumped via a pipe system.

In summer, this is used to cool the apartments.

In winter, the water in the cistern can be heated by solar energy, among other things, and the residual heat from a heater can be used to temper it so that it can also be used for heating.

Such an ice store already exists in Pioneer Park, a residential area in Hanau.

The mayor and planners of SEGG took a look at it.

According to the latest findings, the ice storage facility in Griesheim should work even more effectively than its counterpart in Hanau in order to generate climate-friendly and affordable energy, according to SEGG Managing Director Jens Gottwald.

After the Griesheimer Anger construction project became known, an artist contacted SEGG.

Darmstadt resident Georg-Friedrich Wolf, who is well-known far beyond the region, wants to erect some of his unusual sculptures in the new residential area.

One of his sculptures, the "Archangel Michael", stands on the Friedensplatz in Darmstadt, the sculpture "Sprengte Ketten" at the memorial site of the Osthofen concentration camp.

Wolf's work material consists mainly of steel, which he sees as "both good and bad at the same time".

Among other things, he uses steel from scrapped tanks and cannons to form works of art.

In Griesheim he could use steel girders from the former officers' casino on the airfield.

According to the mayor, this gives the city new and interesting artistic perspectives without great effort, which also create a connection to the former airfield.

With Wolf's works of art, the planned residential quarter could also become a magnet for art lovers, he hopes.

E-bikes as rental bikes

In addition to lots of greenery, the residential area should also offer new forms of transport.

E-bikes as rental bicycles, car-sharing and preferential traffic management for pedestrians and cyclists as well as largely doing without parking on the streets are intended to make the quarter safer.

In addition, a good connection to the Griesheim city center should be established.

At the moment this is all still a thing of the future.

If everything goes according to the current schedule, the first construction projects could begin in the autumn of next year.

Below this is an integrative housing project covering an area of ​​around 3,000 square meters.

Not only should people of different ages live together here, but also people with different disabilities should be integrated.

In small businesses, such as a bistro, these people should also find work and training opportunities.