Panattoni Europe is investing 100 Million Euros in "City Docks"

• Five business parks planned for urban areas in Germany
• New concept aimed at the needs of SMEs
• Investments of 1.2 billion euros announced for real estate solutions near cities throughout Europe in the coming three years

Panattoni Europe is investing 100 million euros in business parks near cities. Panattoni Europe, the leading property developer for industrial and logistics properties in Europe, caters to the growing demand for real estate solutions near cities for commerce and industry in Germany. At Expo Real, the international trade fair for real estate and investments in Munich, the company today announced its plans to invest around 100 million euros in business parks close to cities in Germany alone in the next six months.

In Europe as a whole, Panattoni Europe will invest a total of around 1.2 billion euros in real estate solutions near cities in the next three years, focusing on Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Great Britain. In Poland, around 150,000 square meters of logistic parks near cities will already be completed in the hotspots surrounding Warsaw, Lodz and Wroclaw by the end of 2018.

In Germany, this project developer is creating an additional offer to supplement its large-scale logistic parks: smaller, flexible units encapsulated in a business park to fulfill the specific needs of regional commerce and industry.

The new line of business, marketed under the brand name “City Docks by Panattoni Europe”, is headed by Mike Evers, Head of Business Development Business Parks, who previously worked for British developer Segro. Fred-Markus Bohne, Managing Partner of Panattoni Europe, stated, “We will cover the demand for this sort of real estate with all our might, just as we will continue to act as the leader in setting up large-scale logistic parks. Business is becoming ever more dynamic, and proximity to consumers ever more important. Besides, the lack of skilled labor is forcing companies to offer attractive conditions to their employees in order to stay competitive. Our new business park concept takes account of this fact.”

In order to implement its new concept, Panattoni is already holding negotiations at five specific locations in urban areas in Germany. City Docks is being managed speculatively, that is, without securing all tenants in advance.

City Docks will be built at easily accessible locations in city centers or suburbs. The units are to be rented starting at 500 square meters of floor space. The ceiling heights are 5.75 meters to the lower edge of the girders. City Docks will be built in an attractive, energy-efficient design and include modern office and communal areas.

Panattoni Europe intends to reach a wide range of target groups with its new City Docks concept, from SMEs up to chain stores that have a showroom or repair center. The projects are also predestined for the so-called “last mile”, so important for supplying businesses or consumers in inner cities. Start-ups will find ideal conditions for setting up shop here. The areas can be equipped and partitioned to suit individual needs. City Docks also enables tenants to rent additional or larger areas quickly and easily if necessary to cope with their often rapid growth.

SMEs in particular will appreciate the advantage of Panattoni Europe managing the properties itself and also offering facility management with specialist partners. Communication channels are kept short and direct thanks to a user-friendly customer portal and a 24/7 emergency hotline, thus minimizing expenses for the tenants.