BIS seeks modification of the zoning rules for Basel head office site, allowing for future building development
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said today that it is asking the Canton of Basel-Stadt to rezone part of its existing headquarters site in Basel, Switzerland. Rezoning would allow the BIS to make better use of the property surrounding its Tower headquarters building at Centralbahnplatz in years to come.
The request takes into account the Bank's long-term requirements for more workplaces and meeting rooms as its activities continue to expand. Staff numbers have grown from about 300 people at the time the BIS Tower was built in 1977 to more than 650 today.
At the same time, the number of international meetings held at the BIS has increased. There are now around 300 such meetings annually, involving about 9,000 participants, including central bank governors and senior officials who convene regularly to discuss monetary and financial matters.
To accommodate this growing demand, the BIS's long-term building plans envisage a better use of space on the Tower headquarters site. Currently, BIS staff are spread across four buildings in Basel.1
No construction projects are currently in the pipeline and any future project would be the subject of a separate planning application. The BIS Tower building would not be affected as any future development would be on the site's southern section.
The public consultation and approval process begins next week. The draft proposals ‒ the decision of the Basel Cantonal Parliament (Grossratsbeschluss) and the development plan (Bebauungsplan) ‒ can be viewed at the Basel City Planning Office (Planungsamt) at Rittergasse 4, Basel, for 30 days as of 25 August 2014.
1 The Tower headquarters building on Centralbahnplatz; the Botta building on Aeschenplatz; and two older buildings facing onto Centralbahnstrasse and Gartenstrasse.