The excavators will soon be active in the village centre

After the construction site is before the construction site: the canton only recently finished work along the Chamerstrasse in the village centre of Hünenberg. Preparations for the demolition of three houses between the Maihölzliweg and the church/village square will now begin in the next few days-

Three modern buildings will stand there in two and a half years’ time. Two of these will be the property of the local total contractor Jego AG (with owner-occupied apartments), and the other will belong to the Catholic parish of Cham-Hünenberg (with rental apartments). As is usual in the Canton of Zug, most of the 28 owner-occupied apartments were sold quickly. According to the Information Website, seven apartments are currently still available, including the two most expensive, the 5.5-room apartments for around CHF 2.9 million and CHF 2.7 million, respectively.

The parish has not yet advertised their 2.5 and 3.5 room apartments, and it has also not yet been decided whether there will be seven or eight apartments in the four-storey house, says Church Council President Alfons Heggli. "A larger family apartment is conceivable on the top floor." Many other items are also still unclear. The rental amounts, for example, and the award criteria for the apartments, which according to Heggli would be “at least 50 percent” affordable apartments. And it is still unclear how exactly the ground floor will be used. A room with space for 40 people is planned, which should "contribute to the enlivenment of the village". “We hope that there will be an encounter café there. In addition to good coffee, various cultural offers can also have a place here. And, if possible, the rooms should also be available for private occasions,” says Heggli. The church congregation is expected to decide on the specific use next autumn.

These houses will be demolished to make way for the Maihölzli development.

Jego AG is satisfied with the sales to date. This also applies to the rentals in the commercial sector, where Migros was won as anchor tenant, as has been known for some time. Most of the remaining service space has been sold, says Mauro Bonani, amongst others to the Dorfgässli drugstore that has been based in Hünenberg since 1985. From the company's perspective, this development is something special. On the one hand, because the company is itself based in Hünenberg and Bonani himself lives there. On the other hand, because it will arise in the centre of town, which, according to the manager, is always associated with major challenges. These also included the number of objections, as there were a number of people who registered their opposition the Maihölzli project. Bonani explains that these included the distance from the cemetery and the retention of trees. In the end, “a sensible compromise” was reached with the opponents. The local population was heavily involved in the planning, with a development plan being drawn up and a re-zoning decision being publicly discussed. The project also includes the neighbouring property on the other side of the Maihölzliweg, which belongs to the municipality (see box).

The building permit for the three buildings was issued last autumn, seven years after the first discussions. According to Jego AG, the demolition of the existing buildings should begin in early April. Until then, measures will be taken to protect the surrounding areas, including erecting a protective barrier all around it, including the side facing the Chamerstrasse. One positive element: unlike the above-mentioned road works recently carried out by the canton, the demolition and construction work for the “Maihölzli” on the main road should not lead to any traffic restrictions.

The municipality is planning buildings
The land on the north side of Maihölzliweg - the meadow behind the Dorf bus stop - is the property of the Hünenberg municipality, and was included in the development plan that was adopted in September 2017. Two buildings are planned there. One could serve as a new municipal centre, while the other will consist mostly of apartments. The planning for this has now started, according to construction manager Thomas Anderegg. The municipal council will presumably provide the credit for the preparatory work, with regard to the competition phase, within the budget for 2021.