On an abandoned Soviet airfield in the town of Oranienburg, about 30 km north of Berlin, local authorities are looking to create their own Chinatown like the ethnic enclaves located in San Francisco, Paris, London and other cities.
Mayor Hans-Joachim Laesicke told the AFP that “People will work here, live here and at the same time provide an authentic look at Chinese culture.” Architects have drawn up plans for the community, with single story homes to be constructed on narrow streets much like those throughout China. When completed, the whole area will resemble an authentic Chinese village dating as far back as the Tang Dynasty. There are even some plans to construct a replica of the Great Wall.
The project is set to house some 2,000 Chinese immigrants. Investors, mainly from the Chinese city of Harbin, have indicated a willingness to invest up to 500 million Euros in the project.
Authorities in the regional capital of Frankfurt-on-Oder have given their initial approval and construction is tentatively set to begin in early 2010. Although parts of Germany are doing well, much of the former East Germany is still struggling to catch up. If this new idea takes root, it may prove to be a way for other communities in the eastern part of the country to jump start their local economies.
Berlin is proving a good place to invest with international property investors snapping up some real bargains. Berlins undervalued rental real estate is in high demand from a population that prefer to rent their homes.
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