After years of the permitting process, construction can now finally begin at Seetalplatz in Emmenbrücke. The first phase of the Metropool project is scheduled to start in the fall of 2026, even though the Lucerne Cantonal Bank had assumed at the end of 2025 that the building permit was not yet legally binding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cause of the long delay was not a new land-use plan, but rather an adjustment to the building height. The side wings had to be redesigned after the Cantonal Court ruled that the height specified in the zoning plan was binding. In the revised project, these structures will be lower, while the high-rise building can accommodate an additional floor within the permitted total height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First Phase by 2030 For the site, this is more than just a single building project. The municipality of Emmen has long described Seetalplatz as part of the Lucerne North development focus, where new administrative, residential, and commercial uses are transforming the former transportation hub into an urban neighborhood. Metropool will complement the new cantonal administrative building and other projects centered around the bus hub and Seetalstrasse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Workplaces are being consolidated With construction now set to begin, another key element of the Seetalplatz project is taking shape—one that will primarily provide additional office and service space in a centrally accessible location for northern Lucerne. At the same time, further planning is underway in Emmen regarding road alignment and urban densification along Seetalstrasse, which is expected to further enhance the area’s significance as a business location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>The first construction phase includes the high-rise and a longitudinal building along the bus station. Completion is scheduled for 2030. A separate building permit process will be required later for the second phase, as the existing office building on this part of the site remains in operation and can only be vacated after the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Once fully developed, approximately 350 employees are expected to work at Seetalplatz. A large portion of them will relocate from sites in the city of Lucerne and from Root to Emmenbrücke. For the transitional period, Luzerner Kantonalbank has already secured office space in the Buobenmatt development in Lucerne. The lease for approximately 4,350 square meters runs from April 2027 through the end of 2032 and is intended to bridge the gap until the new building at Seetalplatz is ready for occupancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n