Wädenswil is building a senior living facility on the MEWA site

With the start of construction on the municipal lot within the MEWA site, Wädenswil is sending a clear message about its housing policy: 26 age-appropriate rental apartments are being built on a site where an affordable existing property must make way for neighborhood redevelopment. The decision also illustrates how costly social goals can become in complex site development projects.

On the MEWA site in Wädenswil, the city has initiated the construction of 26 age-appropriate rental apartments. With the laying of the cornerstone on June 16, 2026, a long-controversial subproject is now becoming a concrete building project. For the city, this is more than just a symbolic start to construction: it will manage the rentals itself, thereby specifically targeting the new housing supply toward the local elderly population.

The new building is being constructed on city-owned land as part of a larger site development on Zugerstrasse. Publicly available documents show that the overall project, spanning several parcels, includes approximately 160 apartments, commercial space, and the restoration of the Gulmenbach stream. The city-owned property at Büelenstrasse 5 and 7 had already been acquired in 2010 to enable the city to play an active role in the transformation of the former industrial site.

Failed Attempt to Grant Building Rights
The real crux of the housing policy issue lies not in the architecture, but in the path taken to realize the project. The city originally intended to grant building rights on the parcel to a nonprofit organization to ensure affordable and age-appropriate housing. This effort failed. The reasons cited include high construction costs, the binding preliminary design, and a tight schedule. This left the city with no option but to build the apartments itself and manage the occupancy under its own direction.

The plan calls for 15 three-and-a-half-room and 11 two-and-a-half-room apartments in a building with four full stories and an attic. The design also includes common areas, an exercise room, and a rooftop terrace. The approach is not aimed at assisted living, but rather at enabling independent living in old age through short distances, barrier-free floor plans, and shared infrastructure.

Densification Amid Conflicting Goals
Politically, the project was not without controversy. On May 27, 2024, the municipal council approved a commitment credit of 15.5 million Swiss francs for the replacement building. During the deliberations, the project was criticized as costly and expensive. At the same time, the city stood by it because withdrawing from the joint construction consortium would have triggered significant follow-up costs and disrupted the site’s development.

In doing so, Wädenswil highlights a well-known dilemma: Securing social housing goals in a complex transformation area requires not only land but also perseverance in planning, financing, and leasing. That is precisely what is now being built on the MEWA site. While the 26 apartments are small in relation to the neighborhood’s total housing stock, they represent a significant contribution to the local supply of age-appropriate housing.