The optics were already “skewed” with the land deal – the cube-shaped row houses threaded onto an artificial lake don’t necessarily make the whole thing more tasteful. As early as 2021, the “Krone” reported on the purchase and sale of land by the head of the Association of Municipalities, Alfred Riedl. Now that the first homes are ready, the first residents will move in.
In fact, the condominium is somewhat reminiscent of the man-made island in the shape of a palm tree off the coast of Dubai, albeit less flashy. As is well known, taste can be discussed, but in the end it is the residents who have to decide whether the white blocks evoke a feeling of homeliness.
“Enjoy nature” – in the artificial lake
In any case, the real estate provider advertises on the website with the slogan “Enjoy nature with all your senses” – in the artificial lake. With the purchase price of 600,000 euros, not exactly a bargain, but given the current real estate prices, not even that overwhelming.
This is how the community association leader Riedl earned
The boss of the association of municipalities, Alfred Riedl, who made a million euros from the sale of land (we reported), and Franz Stieger, who was once wanted by an international arrest warrant and who previously owned two of these areas, made money from the whole spectacle. Riedl confirmed that he earned €476,000 from the sale of a property he inherited from a close relative.
He also referred to the land registry and an investigation procedure and stressed “not being aware of any debt”. However, research by “Krone” and “profil” in 2021 showed that Riedl had not inherited any of the four plots sold for the project, but had bought or auctioned parts of the land. In total, the head of the community association ÖVP collected one million euros before taxes and duties.
The crooked look remains
Even if everything should have been done right – the crooked appearance remains. Probably also because Riedl is also the mayor of Grafenwörth and a powerful man in the Lower Austrian ÖVP. “Riedl rules in Grafenwörth, party members who have a different opinion are exchanged. Nobody is openly critical,” Helmut Ferrari told the “Wiener Zeitung”. He is the leader of the Citizens for Citizens list in the city council. “In other municipalities, this absurd project would never have made it through the city council.”
In fact, the project is also questionable from a spatial and environmental point of view. One wonders who should buy the houses in such a vulnerable location. So it remains exciting how many “lake homes” will still be empty next year, for which valuable land has once again been sealed.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
