Garbe realises two locations for Picnic

As part of a strategic partnership with Picnic GmbH, Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH is developing two new logistics properties for the online supermarket in Kaltenkirchen (pictured), north of Hamburg, and in Falkensee near Berlin.

“At both locations, we are creating a total of about 46,500 sq m of new space for Picnic, supporting the company’s growth,” says Jan Dietrich Hempel, Managing Director of Garbe Industrial Real Estate. In 2018, the online supermarket was launched in Germany and initially focused on North Rhine-Westphalia. “We are now expanding to all regions in Germany,” confirms Frederic Knaudt from the founding team of Picnic Germany. “These include modern logistics centres and hundreds of last-mile properties.”

It was only in February that the Hamburg-based project developer acquired a 44,000 sq m brownfield site at Kaltenkirchen in the district of Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein and then extensively revitalised the area. The site is located in the Hamburg-Kiel-Lübeck city triangle, on the northern edge of the Hamburg metropolitan region. In just a few minutes, you can reach the A7 motorway, which connects Kaltenkirchen with Flensburg to the north and with Hamburg and Hanover to the south. There is also a direct connection to the public transport system.

A logistics property with a total area of 25,500 sq m will be built there by Garbe Industrial Real Estate and Graubner Holding GmbH in a joint venture. According to current plans, construction work is to begin in October. Completion is scheduled for July 2023. Together, the two joint venture partners are investing around €39m in the project.

The new building will be equipped with 24 dock levellers and four ground-level sectional doors. Parking spaces for 106 cars and eight trucks are provided in the outdoor area. Great importance is attached to sustainability. In addition to energy-saving LED lighting, a photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof of the property to generate renewable energy. In addition, certification according to the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) is being sought.

Garbe Industrial Real Estate is realising the second location for Picnic in Falkensee, Brandenburg, on the western outskirts of Berlin. Last year, the project developer secured a plot of land of around 36,000 sq m in the Falkensee South industrial park. The go-ahead for the construction of the planned logistics centre, which will cover almost 21,000 sq m, is also scheduled for October. The property, in which Garbe is investing a total of around €23m, is scheduled for completion in June 2023.

“Our expectation of fully leasing Falkensee during the construction period has been fulfilled,” says Jan Dietrich Hempel. “Due to the proximity to Berlin and Potsdam, logistics space is in high demand in this region.” In addition, the site has an excellent location in the industrial park. For example, the distance to the border of the Berlin district of Spandau is only about 800m as the crow flies. Falkensee is connected to the national trunk road network via the B 5, which connects the capital with Hamburg, and the Berlin ring road. The regional train station with direct connections to the centre of Berlin is only 500m away.

“Berliners and Brandenburgers can look forward to fresh food at the lowest prices and free delivery,” explains Frederic Knaudt. “The groceries are picked in Falkensee, taken to the last-mile locations and from there delivered to customers’ homes in our electric vans.” To ensure smooth handling, the new building in Falkensee will be equipped with 20 ramp gates and four ground-level gates. In addition, cold storage and deep-freeze rooms will be integrated in the hall area in order to be able to store temperature-controlled foodstuffs properly in compliance with all specifications. Parking spaces for 144 cars are to be created in the outdoor area. Frederic Knaudt: “With the commissioning, we will create around 200 new jobs in Falkensee and around 150 in Kaltenkirchen.”

Garbe Industrial Real Estate is aiming for DGNB Gold certification for the property in Falkensee. As a significant sustainability measure, a photovoltaic system will be installed on the entire roof area. In addition, extensive species protection measures were carried out and, among other things, sand lizards were relocated to a replacement habitat.