The Cité Syrdall was built in the 1960s and originally intended as student housing. When the plans for a university fell through, the investor wanted to use the buildings as a holiday resort. That dream, too, was scuppered and the houses were finally put up for auction and bought by private residents who intended to live there.
But the site was still a holiday resort on paper, which meant the owners couldn't register there and important services such as refuse collection weren't provided. The quarter increasingly fell into disrepair, with disputes between residents and authorities dragging on for years.
In 1998, the government decided to put an end to the chapter and started buying up the houses and the land, with more or less enthusiasm over the years. By 2017, around two thirds of the units were in public hands.
Over the past four years, driven by the housing crisis, the efforts were increased, so that 99% of the 8.5 hectares are now owned by the government. The total invested for the acquisition comes to around 12 million euros.
Diane Dupont, president of the "Fonds d'assainissement de la Cité Syrdall", says this intense phase has not always been easy, as owners must be given the freedom to decide for themselves. Final negotiations for two houses are still ongoing.
Most of the buildings have been torn down, however, and the surrounding streets are also mostly gone. It looks like no one in the area is going to miss it. Marc Lentz (DP), mayor of the Biwer municipality: "Anything that advances this project is welcome. We've had almost exclusively positive feedback. We wanted to move away symbolically, too, which is why we got rid of the name 'Cité Syrdall' and the new project will be called 'An der Schmëtt'".
The Fonds du Logement will build a new housing quarter on the site. A further 94 million euros are budgeted for the infrastructure and the construction. The plans include 146 housing units, most of them single-family housing, to be completed by 2028. The river Syr, which runs through the site, will be renaturalized.
The construction works will begin on the south side, says Diane Dupont: "We are hoping to start with infrastructure works by the end of the year. We are currently preparing the land to enable us to start building the first houses by late 2023. They should be done around a year later."
A tiny bit of the old Cité Syrdall will remain, however, as one owner adamantly refuses to sell. The new quarter will simply be built around his house.
