The groundbreaking for Panattoni’s new business park project took place on 20 July in the presence of the mayor responsible for building and city development, Ralf Eisenhauer, the Mannheim Department of Economic Development, the executive board members of MVV Energie AG, Verena Amann and Ralf Klöpfer as well as the CEOs of beegy GmbH and Panattoni. This means the leasing approach of the innovative business park has changed from a multi-tenant to a single-tenant solution.
beegy GmbH is a subsidiary of MVV Energie AG, one of the leading energy companies in Germany, and offers localised energy management solutions for private households that meet the needs of the energy revolution. Its services include, among others, the installation of photovoltaic systems and heat components in conjunction with digital services. By leasing all eight units at the City Dock Mannheim Süd, the company will become the sole user and has secured a total usage area of around 10,700 m², of which, 5,930 m² are warehouse space, 2,320 m² are office space and 2,400 m² are flexible space. The clearance height of the business park is around 8.00 m to the bottom of the girders. In the future, beegy will use the new site as a solar and heat campus with a logistics and training centre.
The City Dock Mannheim Süd is being built in the Neckarau industrial district on a Brownfield measuring around 15,200 m². The old factory building was built around 1900 and was originally used for the production of dolls. Most recently, a go-cart course was operated on the site which Panattoni has already demolished. The property is located in the heart of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan and is excellently connected via the A6 federal motorway. There is also a connection to public transportation and the centre of Mannheim is only 3 km away. Due to the energy-efficient and sustainable design, the developer is aiming to obtain the certification according to the DGNB gold standard during the course of the construction.
“The City Dock Mannheim Süd from Panattoni is located in one of the strongest economic regions in Germany and meets our requirements perfectly. We are thrilled about today’s groundbreaking at our new site and hope that we can move in soon and on schedule,” comments Kamil Glowatz, CEO of beegy GmbH.
MVV Vertriebsvorstand Ralf Klöpfer adds, “The new site will help us drive the energy revolution in the solar and heat sector forward with our own tradespeople who we will also train and further educate at this campus. From the logistics centre, we will also be able to serve our heat cooperation partners. This way, we will be excellently prepared for the increasing demand for localised energy solutions.”
The mayor responsible for building and city development, Ralf Eisenhauer, who attended the symbolic groundbreaking on behalf of the City of Mannheim, praised the new establishment: “Mannheim is economically successful and attractive due to its location in the centre of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region and the demand for commercial properties is consistently high. The fact that Panattoni is developing the new business park by repurposing a fallow industrial site supports the City of Mannheim’s sustainability goals. We want to be successful in the future without sealing additional surfaces.”
“I am thrilled that the Mannheim Department of Economic Development has successfully managed to keep beegy in Mannheim. As a result of beegy securing the site and expanding, an important step was taken toward transforming the economic site in the field of ‘green industry’”, Michael Grötsch, Mayor for Economy, Labour, Social Affairs and Culture of the City of Mannheim points out.
With the City Docks, Panattoni builds innovative business parks in urban locations with excellent infrastructure which are already suitable for a broad target group consisting of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the production, crafts, trade and start-ups segments. The City Dock Mannheim Süd is one of 12 City Dock projects that Panattoni has realised throughout Germany since 2019. In addition to the City Docks in Berlin Spandau, Falkensee and Alt-Hohenschönhausen, Essen and Hilden, in North Rhine-Westphalia, further projects are being developed in Kirchheim near Munich, in Hamburg Norderstedt, Hanover and in Sindelfingen and Leonberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Stefan Bohn, Managing Director of Panattoni Germany, explains: “A very warm welcome to our sole tenant beegy GmbH at the City Dock Mannheim Süd. With the development of the business park, we hope to meet the excess demand for flexibly usable spaces on the limited Mannheimer market. These modern spaces are excellently suited for the company’s plans for expansion.”
Engel & Völkers Commercial Rhein-Neckar is responsible for leasing the site. Panattoni plans to complete the City Dock Mannheim Süd in the second quarter of 2024.