As regards the Valbella project, the next step has, in formal terms, been taken. The planning application for the development on the site of the former Höhenklinik was put out for public consultation at the end of September 2026. The plans envisage five buildings with around 150 primary residences, the demolition of the existing structures from 2027 and the start of construction on the new buildings from 2028. It is precisely this timetable that is now coming under pressure.
As things stand, the municipality of Davos must consider two objections. According to the municipality’s statement, one of these objects to issues such as road safety, noise and light pollution, distances, design specifications and mandatory parking spaces. The case is further complicated by Bündastrasse, the road providing access to the site, which is privately owned.
Road rather than a dispute over principle
Part of the opposition appears to be directed less at the residential quarter itself than at unresolved issues surrounding the future use and refurbishment of Bündastrasse. This is a sensitive issue for the property development, as an access issue can delay a major housing project, even though the planning application itself has already been submitted. The municipality states that neither the current owner of the road nor the neighbouring residents would have to bear the renovation costs.
The Färbi project is also stuck in the planning process
Meanwhile, work on the Färbi site in Davos Platz has stalled. Around 60 primary residences are to be built there. On 29 January 2026, the Graubünden cantonal government approved the partial revision of the local development plan, thereby creating the planning conditions for the project. However, an appeal against this decision is still pending. As a result, one of the key projects in Davos’s housing strategy remains blocked, even though the planning framework at cantonal level is already in place.
For Davos, this is more than just a local procedural dispute. The municipality’s housing strategy relies on a few large sites that are intended to deliver a large number of primary residences within a short timeframe. If, of all things, Davos’s two largest projects – comprising a total of around 210 flats – are simultaneously bogged down in objections and legal proceedings, the delivery of new housing for local residents will be delayed by years. In the case of the Valbella project, a negative municipal decision could also lead to an appeal to the Grisons High Court.
