The Vitenius family and Tecklenburg GmbH hand over the completed residential quarter / History and future united / Eleven subsidised rental apartments
For more than 80 years the plot on Suitbertusstraße was owned by the family of screw manufacturer Max Mothes and his descendants. For six years the site lived on as the cultural venue “Boui Boui Bilk”. And since the laying of the foundation stone in June 2022, the MOTHES KARREE has taken shape here, in the heart of Düsseldorf-Bilk – an inner-city residential quarter that unites history and future. With today’s symbolic handover of the keys to the eleven subsidised rental apartments in the front building on Suitbertusstraße, the project is now definitively complete.
“The MOTHES KARREE was more than a construction project from the very beginning,” said Silke Vitenius, a descendant of the Mothes manufacturing family, at the handover. “It was our wish to create housing at this tradition-rich location that also remains affordable for people on an average income. That we have now been able to realise this together with Tecklenburg GmbH fills us with great joy and gratitude.”
As early as 2017 the city’s District Council 3 unanimously voted in favour of the MOTHES KARREE – an early political signal that has now been fulfilled. The now completed quarter features green roof surfaces, landscaped green outdoor areas and a quiet courtyard ensemble that offers its residents a green oasis in the middle of the city. Young families, working professionals and seniors have found a new home here – just as was planned from the very beginning.
The courtyard development of the MOTHES KARREE realised by Tecklenburg GmbH – 54 condominiums of various sizes as well as two exclusive townhouses spread across ten building units – is already largely occupied, with only a few residential units still available for purchase. With the front building on Suitbertusstraße, the quarter now finds its urban-design conclusion: the gap between the neighbouring buildings is closed, and the boulevard connecting the front building and the courtyard development can now be used along its full length by all residents.
The Vitenius family built the eleven apartments in the front building as subsidised housing on a voluntary basis – in line with the city’s ZUKUNFT WOHNEN.DÜSSELDORF policy concept. The rent is 7.34 euros per square metre. “Affordable housing in the city centre is one of the great challenges of our time,” said Silke Vitenius. “We are glad to be able to make a concrete and lasting contribution with this building – voluntarily and out of conviction.”
For Leonie Tillmans, managing director of Tecklenburg GmbH, the MOTHES KARREE is proof of what inner-city densification can achieve – and a starting point for what is to come: “What has been created here on Suitbertusstraße shows how a former commercial site can be transformed into a lively, green residential quarter – without changing the character of the district, but rather enriching it. Projects like this give us courage for the tasks ahead. The good and collaborative partnership between the Vitenius family and Tecklenburg GmbH made a decisive contribution to this success.”
The demand for the condominiums in the courtyard development confirms this approach: many buyers come from the immediate neighbourhood and value Bilk as a green and lively district – five apartments are still for sale.
The symbolic handover of the keys took place on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, from 2 p.m. in the presence of District Mayor Dr Thorsten Graeßner.
This article was originally published in the Tecklenburg GmbH news archive.
