Panattoni builds pioneering property on former stone factory site in Hagen

In Lennetal in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, history and sustainability will soon reach out and take each other’s hands. The property developer Panattoni is planning a modern areal with a new commercial property on the grounds of the former stone factory. A sustainable and pioneering Panattoni Park with high third-party usability will be built in close cooperation with the municipality.

The site comprises nearly 121,000 m² on which Dolomite stone was processed into claddings for coke and steel blast furnaces for more than 100 years. Of those, 43,000 m² are on an inactive waste heap and 77,000 m² will now be used as building space. Constructing the new facility will create 35,000 m² in logistics and industrial space, 1,800 m² of office and social space and 2,700 m² of mezzanine storage space. 130 passenger vehicle and 13 lorry parking spaces will provide adequate space for company vehicles, employees and suppliers.

Whether trade companies, producers or classic logistics companies, the spaces are suitable for a wide range of users. Small hall segments also cover the needs of trades requiring smaller spaces. An excellent connection to the A45 and A46 motorways and an equally good connection to public transit underscore the sites attractiveness in the commercial and industrial district of Hagen, as demonstrated by the inquiries from interested companies.

Complete demolition and new construction is required for the revitalisation of the brownfield site. In 2021, the Hagedorn Group began demolition work after acquiring the site. Not only did the existing buildings have to be demolished, but large quantities of earth also had to be moved to level out differences in height on the site. A large proportion of the demolition material was recycled. A comprehensive remediation concept was implemented to reduce the high levels of contamination in the soil. The levelled site was handed over to Panattoni in the last quarter of 2023.

Panattoni attaches particular importance to sustainability in the new build. The project developer is aiming for certification to at least the DGNB Gold standard. The extensive package of environmental and social measures includes the installation of photovoltaic systems on the roofs and the use of rainwater. A well-being area will be created at the site for the future employees. Moreover, Panattoni is investing in the near-natural design of the exterior premises. The Ölmühlenbach [Ölmühlen Creek], which has been replaced with piping and which runs across the property, will be exposed and renatured. A wildflower meadow and nesting boxes will not only visually improve the landscape, they will also make an important contribution towards preserving biodiversity. In addition, a facade colour in line with the landscape and good embedding into the topography will ensure that the property integrates well into the surrounding environment.

Panattoni is working closely with the City of Hagen and business promotion entities in order to find suitable users for the property. Economic Developer Burkhard Schwemin emphasises, “Thanks to Panattoni, a wasteland will once again be a benefit to the region’s economy. In its heyday, 1,000 people were employed in Lennetal. When production was finally shut down in 2020, that was it for 130 employees. When the Panattoni Park is finished in 2025, many new jobs can be created here.”

Fred-Markus Bohne, Managing Partner at Panattoni Germany and Austria, also believes the developer can make another valuable contribution towards a greener real estate industry with the new project, “Every Brownfield we transform to the benefit of nature, humans and the municipality is a step towards the future.”

The application for construction was submitted at the end of 2023. The construction is slated to start in the second quarter of 2024. The completion is planned for the first quarter of 2025. BNP Paribas Real Estate and Realogis have been commissioned to market the Panattoni Park Hagen..