Builders Christoph Gröner: Why he has not been building in Berlin for 2 years

Builders Christoph Gröner: Why he has not been building in Berlin for 2 years

Christoph Gröner, a renowned building contractor and one of the largest in Germany, has its business headquarters in Berlin, but has not been building in the capital for two years. In 2020 he was one of the most generous donors from the Berlin CDU. At the Future Forum of his Gröner Group in March, he revealed himself as a convinced social democrat. Nevertheless, he explained that the exploding property prices in Berlin led to the fact that his company has not realized any projects in the city since 2021.

GRÖNER emphasizes that the construction costs are not the main problem, but the exorbitant property prices that have risen sharply. When he started building in Berlin in 2010, the property prices were around 700 euros per square meter. Nowadays, the land demand almost ten times. Although the construction costs have also increased, Gröner notes that the scarce availability of land was left to speculators.

Despite the enormous potential for construction projects in Berlin, Gröner has significantly reduced his commitment in the past two years. The exploding property prices made it unprofitable for his company to build in Berlin. He explains that the purchasing power of the Berliners is no longer sufficient to cover the high rental prices and at the same time bear the property costs.

GRÖNER suggests that politics in Berlin must show the willingness to participate in the creation of new living space. He emphasizes the need to keep ideological discussions out of housing and to develop a master plan that enables more living space to be created quickly and efficiently. He warns that the lack of housing leads to political despair and that the population could increase extreme political ideologies if there are not enough apartments in good time.