Groundbreaking ceremony for logistics centre in Bitterfeld-Wolfen

News 19/05/2022

Hamburg/Bitterfeld-Wolfen, 19 May 2022 – Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH is developing a new logistics centre in Bitterfeld-Wolfen together with its joint venture partners BREMER Projektentwicklung GmbH and the Quakernack Group. Construction work on the 72 million euro project has now officially started following a groundbreaking ceremony. Completion of the logistics property, which covers a total of 82,000 square metres, is scheduled for next year.

The new building is being constructed on a 222,000 square metre site in the Technologiepark Mitteldeutschland (Central Germany Technology Park). The joint venture acquired the site, which is ready for construction, from the Quakernack Group last year. “Currently, foundation work is being carried out at the construction site. The erection of the first prefabricated columns is planned to start in May,” reports Jan Dietrich Hempel, Managing Director of Garbe Industrial Real Estate. The joint venture has commissioned BREMER Leipzig GmbH as general contractor for the construction of the property.

The logistics property is being built in two units. The larger one is already leased to the online retailer Westwing. The furniture and accessories specialist will use around 48,000 square metres for the storage, order picking and shipping of its products. “The site is in a very good strategic location with fast connections to the DHL and Hermes distribution centres. We can supply the whole of Germany from there,” says Frank Knobloch, Head of Operations Expansion at Westwing, explaining the decision to choose Bitterfeld-Wolfen. For example, the technology park is located only a few hundred metres from the junction to highway 9. It is one of the most important north-south axes, connecting Bitterfeld-Wolfen with Leipzig, Nuremberg and Munich to the south and the greater Berlin area to the north. Leipzig-Halle Airport is about 30 kilometres away.

“Other reasons for the decision were that we have had positive experiences working with Garbe and Bremer and will be able to continue to grow at the site,” emphasises Frank Knobloch. A corresponding expansion option has been agreed for the logistics centre, which is scheduled for completion in February 2023, meaning it can be enlarged by 40,000 square metres if required.

The construction of the smaller unit will take place without any fixed rental commitments. It is designed as a multi-user property, will have a total area of 34,000 square metres and is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of next year. The smaller unit will be equipped with 32 dock levellers and three ground-level gates. A total of 485 car and 49 truck parking spaces will be created on the outdoor area. Of these, 140 car and 23 truck parking spaces will be allocated to the smaller unit.

Adrian Zellner, Member of the Management Board at Garbe, expects the building unit, which is being constructed speculatively, to be fully leased before the end of the construction phase: “The attractiveness of the location in the Leipzig-Halle logistics region means there will be great demand. Bitterfeld-Wolfen is an up-and-coming location with excellent growth prospects. The good cooperation with the city administration is also undoubtedly a contributing factor”. Frank Knobloch also confirms this: “The authorities gave us the impression at all times that we were wanted as an employer”.

Garbe Industrial Real Estate attaches great importance to sustainability criteria in the development of the property. “The entire logistics facility will meet the highest energy requirements,” emphasises Bernd Jungholt, Managing Director of BREMER Projektentwicklung GmbH. Construction will be carried out in accordance with the KfW (Credit Institute for Reconstruction) energy-efficient building 40 standard. This means that the property will consume 60 percent less energy than stipulated by the Building Energy Act. A photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof to generate renewable energy. It is also intended to certify the entire property according to the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).