A construction project by Michael Tojner's ValueInvest at the Heumarkt in Vienna requires an environmental impact assessment (UVP), according to a decision by the Administrative Court of Austria (VwGH). The court rejected a revision of a previous ruling from the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG), confirming that both variants of the project—'Heumarkt Neu 2021' (higher variant) and 'Heumarkt Neu 2023' (lower variant)—are subject to UVP requirements. This decision comes amid ongoing discussions by the World Heritage Committee in Busan regarding the status of the historic center of Vienna, which has been on the 'Red List' of World Heritage Sites since 2017 due to concerns over high-rise buildings. The project includes the area around the Hotel Intercontinental, Eislaufverein, and Concert Hall, and has faced opposition from heritage advocates. ValueInvest views the court's clarification of a simplified UVP procedure as an opportunity to achieve legal certainty for their project.
Bias read (Center): The article presents the legal decision and its implications without overtly favoring either the developers or the conservationists. It reports on the court's ruling, the context of the World Heritage Committee's deliberations, and the developer's reaction neutrally, without taking a clear stance on



