The port and the city: Klybeck and the Rhine quays

Read the PDF edition (2 pages)

The port and the city compete for the same land. The Klybeck quay and the Westquai peninsula at Kleinhüningen lie close to the residential districts of Kleinbasel. For this reason, planners have long regarded them as an opportunity for urban development. A planning vision presented around 2012, which proposed high-rise buildings on the riverside and was quickly nicknamed "Rheinhattan" by its critics, provoked public opposition and was not pursued in its original form.¹

The future of the riverside is linked to the relocation of container handling to the planned Gateway Basel Nord terminal. Only if containers leave the Westquai can the land be freed for other uses. The canton has developed plans for the transformation of the Klybeck area in stages, while the large former industrial site of Novartis and BASF in the Klybeck district, known as Klybeckplus and later redeveloped by private investors, forms a separate redevelopment project of considerable size.² Meanwhile, temporary uses on the Klybeck quay, with bars, cultural venues and community gardens, have shown the appetite of the population for access to the river.

The conflict between the port and the city raises legal questions of spatial planning, of the protection of existing building rights and of the major accident risks associated with the storage of dangerous goods near residential areas. It also raises questions of public finance, since the canton must weigh the revenue from port leases against the value of land for housing. For investors and lenders in real estate, the transformation of the port areas represents a long-term opportunity whose timing depends on decisions that remain open.

Notes

On the planning vision for the Klybeckquai and Westquai presented by the canton of Basel-Stadt around 2011/2012 and the public debate about "Rheinhattan", see the publications of the cantonal planning office and the contemporary press. Dates to be verified. ↩
On the planning for the Klybeck area, including the transformation of the former industrial site of Novartis and BASF (Klybeckplus) and the plans for the Klybeckquai and Westquai, see the publications of the canton of Basel-Stadt and the investors. Status to be verified. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of August 2025.

English

Contact

Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

Get in touch →

The port and the city: Klybeck and the Rhine quays

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?