Large area awaiting redevelopment for residential and commercial use
The Schwarzbubenland location promotion agency wants to make the Wydeneck site attractive for as many high-quality jobs as possible. It has therefore met with representatives from HIAG Immobilien and the local authority. Swissmetall will be moving out of the site at the end of 2026.
HIAG Immobilien AG plans to transform the old Metalli industrial site on the Birs river in Dornach into a mixed-use area for living, working and leisure over a period of up to 20 years. The master plan for the new Wydeneck site envisages 70 per cent residential use for the area of over 130,000 square metres. At least 30,000 square metres are earmarked for commercial and business use. This creates the potential for 600 jobs.
From the perspective of the Schwarzbubenland location promotion agency, this is not enough. According to a statement, it is calling for the site to be made attractive for the creation of as many high-quality jobs as possible. The focus on residential use carries “the risk of losing valuable commercial space for the future due to short-term profit considerations”.
Representatives of the location promotion agency, HIAG Immobilien and the municipality have therefore met to discuss the future of the site. HIAG pointed out that “thanks to flexible and forward-looking building and zoning regulations, a higher proportion of commercial use is also possible in principle”.
Swissmetal will leave the site by the end of 2026. The existing temporary uses can then be expanded. Major structural changes are to be carried out in line with the expansion of the infrastructure. From 2030, the new Dornach-Apfelsee S-Bahn station will connect the site directly to public transport.