Garbe converts military training ground to logistics

Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH has secured a conversion area of around 76,000 sq m in Thuringia. The site is the final large plot in the Eisenach Kindel industrial estate in the municipality of Hörselberg-Hainich (Wartburgkreis). A new production and logistics property is to be constructed there for the tenant BCUBE Logistik GmbH by September 2023. Garbe Industrial Real Estate is investing around €40m in the project.

“The area we acquired from the Free State of Thuringia is part of a former military training ground,” explains Adrian Zellner, Member of the Executive Board at Garbe Industrial Real Estate. “During the revitalisation, one focus is therefore on the detection and professional removal of possible combat ordnance and ammunition remnants, as well as on compensating for the enormous height difference. Thanks to our many years of expertise, we are currently on schedule with the conversion of the former brownfield site and want to start construction of the new property before the end of September.”

A state-of-the-art production and logistics property with a total area of around 35,000 sq m is to be built there. BCUBE Logistik GmbH has already been confirmed as the tenant. The company is part of the BCUBE Group, one of the leading international companies for integrated logistics services, employing around 6,700 people worldwide and serving customers in the automotive, aviation and plant engineering sectors.

“With the new hall, we are significantly expanding our previous capacities in Eisenach and creating around 80 jobs at this new location”, says Frank Schöppach, Managing Director of BCUBE Logistik GmbH. “Customised contract logistics operations for a well-known automotive supplier will be handled there in the future. In addition to production supply, packing kit creation, the pre-assembly of components and quality inspection, this will also include the industrial cleaning of standard and specialised load carriers.”

For this purpose, the production and logistics property will be pre-equipped for the installation of two wet and two dry cleaning systems and sealed in accordance with the protective measures for water-polluting substances under the Water Resources Act (WHG). To enable efficient loading and unloading, 30 ramp gates with dock levellers and five ground-level sectional gates are envisaged – as well as parking spaces for 102 cars and nine trucks on the outdoor area.

In addition, the site impresses with its central position in the middle of Germany. The industrial estate is only about 10km from the city of Eisenach and is located directly on the B 84. After only 3km, the Eisenach-Ost junction to the A 4 Bad Hersfeld–Dresden road can be reached without having to drive through built-up areas. This means that BCUBE Logistik GmbH will benefit from short distances between their locations and excellent connections to the motorway network.

Garbe Industrial Real Estate is attaching great importance to sustainability in the construction of the property. “We generally develop our projects according to current ecological standards and ESG criteria. This is part of our corporate strategy,” emphasises Adrian Zellner. As a result, the new building in Hörselberg-Hainich is being constructed according to the specifications of the efficiency building class 55 of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau/Reconstruction Loan Corporation (KfW).

A photovoltaic system covering the entire roof area of the production and logistics hall is planned to produce regenerative energy. Garbe Industrial Real Estate is aiming for certification according to the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) for this new property.

Garbe develops logistics centre near Jena

Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH is continuing its expansion course. In Bollberg near Jena (Thuringia, DE), the Hamburg-based real estate developer will build a logistics centre with a total area of 35,500 sq m on a 65,000 sq m site. Construction is scheduled to start in December 2022, with an investment of around €48m.

The property is located in the industrial park of Bollberg, a district of Stadtroda (Saale-Holzland district) in Thuringia. “A location for a logistics centre could hardly be better,” emphasises Adrian Zellner, Member of the Executive Board at Garbe Industrial Real Estate. The Hermsdorfer Kreuz interchange, which connects the A4 Bad Hersfeld−Dresden motorway with the A9 Berlin−Munich, is seven kilometres away. Both motorways are among the most important north-south and west-east axes in Germany. The A4 runs virtually within sight of the business park. The Stadtroda junction is easily reached after a one kilometre ride without having to pass through the town.

Proximity to Jena also played a role in the property purchase: “The city has made a name for itself as a high-tech location. Both international corporations and small and medium-sized companies are represented in Jena,” says Zellner. “Demand for developed land is correspondingly high. That’s why we decided to develop the logistics centre with a view to the future.”

A multi-user logistics centre with a hall area of 31,500 sq m is planned. The hall will be designed so that it can be divided into units of around 10,000 sq m or more. In addition, there will be 1,400 sq m for offices and social rooms as well as 2,500 sq m of mezzanine space. The new unit will be equipped with 30 dock levellers and three ground-level gates. Parking spaces for 117 cars and four trucks will be provided outside.

Garbe Industrial Real Estate is developing the property together with Terrae Immobiliengesellschaft mbH. A major focus of the construction is the consideration of numerous sustainability standards. Benchmark is the fulfilment of the Efficiency House Class 55 standards of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau / Reconstruction Loan Corporation (Kfw). For an example, a photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof to generate renewable energy. Garbe Industrial Real Estate is aiming for the property to be certified according to the gold standard of the German Sustainable Building Council.

Talks with potential tenants are already underway. “There is a lot of interest. That’s why we expect full occupancy during the construction period,” says Zellner. The property is scheduled for completion in December 2023.

 

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