Woolworth is coming back: Fürth's southern end gets new momentum

A key construction milestone has been reached at the former Woolworth building at Schwabacher Straße 54 in Fürth. At the topping-out ceremony, Ehret+Klein AG announced that the shell construction of the extension building has been completed; further work is already underway inside. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. However, the return of the Woolworth branch is planned earlier: a period in October or early November was mentioned at the event – and thus in time for the Christmas business.

The corner building at Schwabacher Straße and Maxstraße is one of the prominent addresses in Fürth's city center. It was built in the mid-1950s according to the plans of architect Hans Paul Schmohl; parts of it are under monument protection. For the development, this means: the existing structure is not simply being replaced, but comprehensively renovated and remodeled – with an addition in the courtyard that must fit into the existing structure.

Topping-out ceremony with owner, developer, and construction company

According to the company, around 80 guests attended the topping-out ceremony. Ehret+Klein put the future total area of the project at around 8,600 square meters. The owner is the pension fund of the Dental Association of Schleswig-Holstein.

A logistical detail underscores how tightly the construction site in the existing building must be organized: A special feature mentioned was a crane weighing several tons that was hoisted into the middle of the building. This avoided road closures – a relevant point, especially on a central city center axis where construction work can quickly impact pedestrian and delivery traffic.

From problem site to fully leased property

The project has a long history. For years, the building was associated with uncertainty; owners changed, larger spaces stood empty. Against this background, the current construction progress is more than just a stage in the construction schedule: for the city center, it is about whether a long-weakened component can function permanently again.

According to the project participants, the building is already 100 percent leased. For the economic viability of such a conversion in the existing building, this is a crucial stability factor: if the spaces are already allocated before completion, the leasing risk decreases – and the use gets a clear direction early on.

Retail below, "temporary living" above: the usage concept

The concept relies on two uses that are intended to support each other. Woolworth is to move back into the ground floor and basement. In the upper floors of the existing building and in the new courtyard building, 100 serviced apartments by ipartment are planned; around 3,600 square meters are allocated for this. Ipartment has signed a long-term lease for the spaces, it was said at the event.

For the location, this mix means: ideally, retail ensures reliable foot traffic and visibility during the day, while the apartments bring additional, regular use to the upper floors – for example, by business travelers or people in transition phases who are looking for city center locations. Such "temporary home" offers work especially where distances are short and basic amenities remain accessible; for the southern entrance to the pedestrian zone, this could extend the building's usage times beyond the classic store operation.

Why the city is relying on a "frequency generator"

Mayor Dr. Thomas Jung spoke at the topping-out ceremony of a "great strengthening for the inner and shopping city of Fürth." Economic advisor Horst Müller called the project a "real frequency generator for the southern branch of the pedestrian zone." This means not just a single tenant, but the expected effect on pedestrian flows – and thus on neighboring locations.

This logic is also fundamentally emphasized in the retail debate about city centers: the German Retail Association points out that brick-and-mortar retail is one of the central drivers of visitor frequency and thus remains crucial for the economic vitality of centers. For Fürth, this classification is therefore politically and practically significant – especially since it was also mentioned at the event that the southern section had lost attention due to changed walking routes. A well-known retail location on a prominent corner is to set a clear attraction point here again.

"Urban repair" in the existing building – and what it specifically brings

Michael Ehret classified the project in urban planning terms as "urban repair." Behind this is a pragmatic approach in this case: instead of further vacancies, former office and retail spaces are partly transferred into a new, marketable usage package and supplemented. According to the project, this creates new temporary inner-city living space without sealing additional areas – because the conversion takes place in the existing building and in the courtyard.

The construction method was also highlighted as an argument. ZECH Bau SE (Nuremberg branch) pointed out that a previously planned demolition of the courtyard ceiling could be avoided through a preliminary pre-construction phase. According to the company, around 700 tons of demolition material and about the same amount of new material were saved as a result. Translated into practice, this means: less demolition not only reduces disposal effort and construction site traffic, but can also dampen time and cost risks in complex city center projects – provided the existing structure can be sensibly integrated both technically and in terms of permits.

For the southern Fürth pedestrian zone, the project is therefore relevant for two reasons: because of the planned return of Woolworth as a high-traffic anchor tenant – and because the full leasing already during the construction phase signals that the usage concept is anchored in the market. The conversion is to be completed by the end of 2026; the first visible revitalization could, if the schedule holds, already begin in the fall with the reopening of the store.