Jamal Al-Wazzan is one of the best-known players in the Viennese real estate world. His new project: breathing new life into telephone booths. He has acquired 5,000 nationwide and, according to his own statements, has already received positive signals from the city of Vienna for the conversion of the first fifty.
Until now, only the telephone booths in Vienna’s parks were known to have been converted from telephone booths into libraries. Mayor Ludwig was now enthusiastic about his ambitious new project, multimillionaire Jamal Al-Wazzan told the “Krone”. The first 50 new telephone booths will serve, among other things, as an ATM, charging station for electric cars or WiFi column. Some will also become ‘multi-function centers’ with defibrillators and emergency telephones.
They keep their previous purpose: making phone calls. In a second step, the new service islands will also make shopping possible, especially in the federal states. “The plan is to have vending machines that fill grocers with their goods.”
Saved from the scrap yard
In any case, Al-Wazzan wants to save the telephone booths from demolition. “We have to make sure we do something smart with these telephone booths,” said the real estate magnate, who years ago, in 2008, took over fifty Schöps branches and found new tenants.
Lots of negotiations
As a tenant, he currently has approximately 5,000 telephone booths throughout Austria. However, the realization of his project may take some time. Because the telephone booths belong to the municipalities and that is why he actually has to speak to 500 mayors, as Al-Wazzan emphasizes. An opening date for the first fifty multifunctional telephone booths of Al-Wazzan in Vienna has also not yet been announced. Ludwig’s enthusiasm, as perceived by Al-Wazzan, has yet to be reflected in the corresponding approvals. The mayor’s office could not be reached for comment before going to press.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
