Garbe Industrial Real Estate GmbH and its joint venture partner Logicenters, Nrep’s development and management platform for logistics properties, are continuing to drive forward the revitalisation and development of brownfield sites. In the Swabian town of Leipheim (Günzburg district in Bavaria), located around 30 kilometres northeast of Ulm, the two companies have acquired a 20,000 m2 plot of land. A logistics centre with a total area of around 11,600 m2 is to be built on this site. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025, with an investment volume of around 17 million euros.
The property is part of a former airbase. Remnants of the former runway and individual buildings serve as reminders of its military use. After the end of the airport’s operation, the area was transformed into the 112-hectare intermunicipal industrial estate ‘Areal Pro’.
“We believe that the revitalization of brownfield sites has by far the greatest potential for future-oriented project developments. Especially in densely populated or unusual locations, this will be the only way for new and interesting projects”, says Adrian Zellner, Member of the Executive Board of Garbe Industrial Real Estate.
Old foundations and buildings have to be demolished before construction can begin. The demolition material will then be disposed of properly. The planned new building will have a hall area of around 10,400 m2. In addition, there will be 1,200 m2 for offices, social rooms and other usable space on intermediate levels. The property is to be equipped with ten dock levelers and a sectional door at ground level. Parking spaces for 40 cars and two trucks will be provided on the outdoor area. Completion is planned for the second quarter of 2026.
The property is being developed according to current ESG criteria. To generate renewable energy, the roof areas will have space for the installation of a photovoltaic system capable of producing up to one megawatt of peak output. The building will be heated without the use of fossil fuels, instead employing climate-friendly air heat pumps. The new building will also be equipped with an energy-efficient LED lighting system. The joint venture between Garbe Industrial Real Estate and Logicenters is aiming for the property to be certified in accordance with the Gold Standard of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).
“Brownfields are the future because we are making sealed areas usable again and upgrading them in line with modern sustainability standards“, says Martin Ohly, General Manager of Logicenters Germany, a company of Nrep, one of the largest property investment managers in the Nordic countries.
The industrial estate where the new building is being constructed is close to the A 8 motorway, which connects the site with Ulm and Stuttgart to the west and with Augsburg and Munich to the east. The Leipheim junction is approximately three kilometres away and can be reached without driving through the town. The Ulm/Elchingen motorway junction, around eleven kilometres away, provides access to the A 7 motorway. At around 960 kilometres, it is not only the longest motorway in Germany but also one of the country’s most important north-south axes.
The property service provider CBRE acted as intermediary in the purchase of the site.