Voters give clear yes to purchase of the Zurlaubenhof

With 5,928 to 600 votes, voters in the City of Zug approved the acquisition of the Zurlaubenhof by the City of Zug.

"I had hoped and even expected that the purchase of the Zurlaubenhof would be accepted, but it’ s brilliant that the vote is so clear! It's great that we were able to secure the Zurlaubenhof for the people of Zug," say city councillor (Stadtrat) André Wicki, head of the Finance Department of the City of Zug, in a statement regarding the voting on Sunday. 5,928 voters placed a yes, and 600 a no in the ballot box. The turnout was 39.12%.

The purchase price for the Zurlaubenhof amounts to CHF 65 million, and a further CHF 5 million is available for value-adding renovation work.

Making buildings accessible to the public
The clear verdict of the City of Zug electorate forms the basis for a future development of the area. An upgrade with regard to fire protection and safety is planned for the historic buildings, in order to be able to make them accessible to the public in the future. In addition, a partial renovation of some apartments, with renewal of the kitchens and bathrooms with the associated technical installations, will take place.

The city council (Stadtrat) now has the task of determining the future use together with the Large Municipal Council (Grossen Gemeinderat). A moderate, partial development of the property is possible on the basis of an already-completed project.

A moderate development would create living space for different stakeholder groups, and the Zurlaubenhof, with its baroque garden and cultural assets of national importance, could remain as a public space, continues the statement. The city council wants to give itself enough time for the political process, however.

In the autumn of 2020, the Bossard family, who have owned the Zurlaubenhof for 160 years, submitted an offer to the city council to sell the entire property, with a land register area of 32,470 square metres, including the historic buildings, at a price of CHF 65 million. A comprehensive review of the offer took place in 2021, and various meetings with the landowners took place.

In August 2021, the city council decided to respond to the offer of the Bossard family, and, in March 2022, the city parliament (Stadtparlament) approved the proposal for acquisition. At the request of the city council and in view of the magnitude and scope of the purchase, the parliament had submitted this decision to a referendum, which is why a ballot was held.