Rostock's city center: New apartments and businesses replace refugee home!

Rostock's city center: New apartments and businesses replace refugee home!

Things are going haywire in Rostock. The old location of the refugee accommodation at Kleine Wasserstraße 10 and 11 will be demolished to make room for modern residential and office buildings. War-displaced people from Ukraine lived there until the end of June 2025. Demolition excavators are now ready to clear the area for a structural expansion of the town hall, which is already being pushed forward on the basis of a legally binding development plan from 2023. In the future, two new town hall buildings as well as two residential and commercial buildings are to be built there. The goal is clear: a lively district with a harmonious mix of living, working, shopping and leisure.

A total of around 60 apartments are planned, with particular attention being paid to socially supported and barrier-free solutions. Ground floor areas are reserved for commercial businesses as well as social and cultural institutions. An interesting aspect is that holiday apartments and entertainment venues are excluded in order to secure the urgently needed living space.

Social aspects and eligibility for housing

When it comes to social housing, the challenges are great. More and more financially weak people, including low earners, pensioners and recipients of citizens' benefit or basic security, are dependent on government support when looking for housing. A housing entitlement certificate (WBS) can help make it possible to move into social housing. According to mietrecht.de, this is also known as a “B-Schein” and allows access to subsidized housing.

The requirements for receiving a WBS are clearly defined: income limits must be met and the apartment applied for must be appropriately large. For single people the income limit is 12,000 euros and for two people it is 18,000 euros. Anyone who stays below these limits can hope for funding. This could represent a real opportunity for many, especially in view of the new living situation in Rostock.

Public space and infrastructure

After the demolition work, the southern part of the new development area will be designed as a public traffic area with an attractive staircase. Accessibility is also an important point. An underground car park with 110 parking spaces and 220 bicycle parking spaces are planned so that residents can go about their everyday lives without having to rely on a car. There will also be a green inner courtyard and two roof terraces, which will make life in the district even more livable.

The laying of the foundation stone for the important new administrative building, which is also part of the project, took place in July. This will contain a citizenship hall, an information center and a room for marriage ceremonies, while the local office and the migration office will be housed in the rear part.

The important steps were taken in direct connection with the increasing demand for housing for refugees and socially disadvantaged people. Even if the exact schedule and the identity of the developer have not yet been announced by the city, the hope remains that this project will give the city a new, attractive number and at the same time meet social requirements.

Rostock is taking the step towards sustainable urban development. Highlights like these make the area an attractive place to live and encourage the settlement of new residents - a clear win-win situation for everyone involved.