Published on 01/07/2021
At the time of publication, the site is in the Huningue industrial area, which limits the possible uses owing to legal requirements. In all the planning considerations underlying the dismantling of the wastewater treatment plant and the remediation work, however, it was always clear that once this had been completed, there was no question of the site being used for industrial purposes and that Novartis had no plans to expand it.
Since the remediation work was completed, the future of the site has been part of the “3Land” project, in which the neighboring cities of Basel, Weil am Rhein, Huningue and Saint-Louis want to develop the area between Dreirosenbruecke and Palmrainbruecke into a cross-border district. The possibility of such an international conurbation is a major, one-off opportunity for the region as a whole.
Even if Novartis is no longer part of this development, it was important for the company that the potential of the site was not limited by construction work or other long-term and permanent use. As a result of these considerations, it was therefore decided to design the site in the transition phase in a way that was close to nature. To this end, the site was leveled and a humus layer was applied.
Since spring 2020, a lean meadow enriches the embankment section on a temporary basis. In the future, it will be possible to use the fully remediated site – which is located in an ideal position on the Rhine – for all sorts of purposes. This will allow the successful remediation to be regarded as a positive legacy for future generations.
