The Old Wiesbaden Court-House Building

In the midst of Wiesbaden, there is an entire city block which took up the old city courthouse. It's located around Albrecht Strasse and Oranen Strasse.

It hasn't been functional at least a decade, and is heavily in need of either renovation or to be torn down.  The building itself takes up forty-percent of the block, while a parking lot takes up the other sixty percent.

Late on Friday....the city came out and announced that they'd finally come a decision about the property.

Part of the old building will go, but the bulk of the historical building will be renovated and made into sixty student apartments.  Another new building adjacent to it will be built to house roughly 100 apartments.  Then, there's the grand addition to the whole block....a university building for the Fresenius University.  It'll be a combination auditorium and cafeteria, with a student lecture area for approximately 1,000 students into faculties design and technology and media.

Fair amount of money involved?  Yes.  It's probably a four-year project and will have a serious impact on the city and it's future.  My guess is.....as the American Arms Hotel-Refugee episode comes to a close....it'll also be converted over to more student housing related to the university operation.

Fresenius University is a private university....which dates back to 1848.  They were a science and technology study organization in the very beginning.  About twenty years ago.....for unknown reasons....they moved out of Wiesbaden, to Idstein (about a 20-minute drive up the road).  There are eight branches of the university in Germany.  Most deal with chemistry, healthcare, or business.  Oddly, the university is part of Cognos....a publicly traded stock company in Germany.

A trend?  Wiesbaden has been on a growth plan for twenty-odd years.  Having the Fresenius University in town will be a magnet to draw HR recruiters and developmental organizations around the region for start-up companies.  It'll likely draw not only Germans but a wide variety of international students.