The main problem of Berlin is not the airport, but housing, according to the mayor

Berlin - The prolongation and cost overruns of the construction of the new Berlin Airport Willy Brandt (BER) are among the main issues that have marked 13 years of Klaus Wowereit’s tenure as the Mayor of Berlin. The mayor, who will leave office in December, considers solving the housing situation in the German metropolis a greater challenge for his successor than completing the airport terminal. Wowereit stated this in an interview with foreign journalists in Berlin.
    "I would say my overall record is positive," said the Berlin mayor. "Of course, during a long term like mine, not everything one touches turns to gold," he added.
    "It is no secret that during my more than thirteen years in office, there have been repeated delays in the opening of the BER airport. It has not been easy, and in recent years it has occupied much of my time. And of course, I would very much like to say that everything is already finished, but unfortunately, it's not that simple," said Wowereit.
    The airport was originally supposed to open in 2011; however, due to fire safety issues and other construction defects, the deadline has been repeatedly postponed. Simultaneously with the delays in the airport's opening, construction costs have also escalated. The original budget was about 2.5 billion euros (69.2 billion CZK), but by the end of this year, expenditures will reach 5.7 billion euros (157.7 billion CZK).
    Wowereit, who as Berlin’s mayor sits on the airport's supervisory board, did not want to say when the airport might be completed. "Given my experiences from the past, I do not want to provide any firm completion date for the airport; that would not be serious. But I am confident that the supervisory board is doing everything possible to open the airport as soon as possible," he said.
    Despite being long criticized over the issues with the new airport intended to replace the current Berlin airports Tegel and Schönefeld, Wowereit does not see the completion of the construction as the main task for his successor. "He will need to primarily address the problem of housing shortages," he said about the future mayor. "Berlin is a growing city, new immigrants keep coming, and that’s good. But because of this, there is a shortage of apartments; the available ones are also too expensive," he added.
    According to Wowereit, the city does have space for further development, but faces protests from residents. For example, this spring Berliners pushed through a referendum banning the construction of a residential and administrative complex on the outskirts of the decommissioned Tempelhof airport.
    At the end of August, Wowereit announced that he would step down from his position on December 11. He now told reporters that he does not feel tired from the long-term leadership of the city. However, he excluded the possibility of running for any other political office.