City wants to acquire industrial building for archive and temporary uses
The city of Biel wants to acquire the industrial property at Mattenstrasse 133. The factory building is to be used for the city archives from 2033 onwards. Until then, it is planned to be used temporarily as a gymnasium and city library. The municipal council is now requesting 3.89 million Swiss francs from the city council for this purpose.
The Biel Municipal Council is proposing to the City Council that it purchase the industrial property at Mattenstrasse 133. According to the announcement, the building is intended to serve as the new city archives from 2033 onwards. Prior to that, it will be used as a temporary gymnasium and library.
The industrial property at Mattenstrasse 133 was built in 1959 for Maveg AG, a trading company for construction machinery. The building comprises three large halls and an administration building and is listed as worthy of preservation in the building inventory.
From winter 2026/27, the large hall of the property is to replace the Collège des Platanes’ gymnastics facilities. Since 2024, these have only been usable to a limited extent due to structural problems. Until the gymnasiums are renovated, the city wants to create a temporary solution by simply expanding the hall.
Later, during the planned complete renovation of the city library on Neumarktplatz starting in 2031, the property will serve as a temporary library location. There are hardly any suitable rental solutions available in the city centre for the library’s approximately 1,700 square metres of floor space.
After the library moves out, the building will be used permanently as the city archives from 2033 onwards. The city has been looking for a new solution for this for years, as the current premises no longer meet legal requirements and the archive holdings are spread across several locations.
The municipal council is applying to the city council for two loans totalling CHF 3.890 million for the purchase of the property and the temporary provision of the gymnasium. The city council will make its decision on 19 March.