VGP: From wasteland to ultra-modern logistics site

Rodgau is located less than 20 kilometers from Frankfurt - and can therefore look forward to an attractive location in the immediate vicinity of the Main metropolis. As a hub for a wide variety of transport connections and routes, Frankfurt has an impact on the entire surrounding area and makes the towns and municipalities sought-after logistics locations. This also applies to Rodgau. The town of 43,000 inhabitants in the district of Offenbach had a 23-hectare unused area in the corner between the B45 federal highway and the L 3121 state road, which was ideal for new commercial settlements - especially as it was already officially designated as a commercial area in the RheinMain regional association's land use plan.

However, it was to be a long but ultimately successful journey from plan to reality. It began with the negotiations with the landowners at the time - 90 in total - and did not end with the search for the best project developer and investor. With Mayor Jürgen Hofmann at the helm, those responsible in the town of Rodgau doggedly pursued the project. For good reason, as they expected it to bring considerable added value for the community and its residents.

Numerous interested parties for coveted spaces

The proximity to Frankfurt Airport and the variety of regional markets in the surrounding area, but especially the well-developed and optimally connected road network around Rodgau, made logistics-related projects the focus of attention. There was no shortage of interested parties - numerous investors and project developers had recognized the potential of the area and were promoting their projects to the city authorities. In the course of several exploratory processes, the most promising construction project from the municipality's point of view was finally identified. It was not just the purchase price that counted. The concept was particularly important, as it determined the specific future use of the developed area - for example, whether it should be a single user operating a logistics site there or rather several companies.

Award for high-end commercial real estate

Those involved opted for the project proposal from the VGP real estate group, which focuses on a high level of diversity. The concept was convincing across the board. As an investor and project developer, the VGP Group specializes primarily in high-end commercial real estate and offers all commercial real estate services from a single source: VGP acquires the land, develops the respective projects, supervises the construction work, leases the buildings and operates the building management. VGP focuses on high quality standards, sustainability and long-term commitment and sees itself as a partner to local authorities and tenants in its VGP business parks. In Rodgau, too, VGP planned to let the property to several companies from the logistics and light manufacturing sectors. In the end, the vote was clear and unanimous: VGP was awarded the contract for the space.

About VGP

Founded in 1998 in the Czech Republic, VGP is now active in eight markets across Europe: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany and Spain. Germany has become the Group's largest growth market since 2012. In order to support VGP's long-term growth, the VGP Group established a 50:50 joint venture with real estate investment and asset manager Allianz Real Estate in March 2016 with an initial transaction value of EUR 500 million. The joint venture will exclusively bundle the assets of the projects developed by VGP in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

Willingness to compromise led to the goal

With the VGP Park in Rodgau, a modern logistics location was created because everyone pulled together.

It is great when there is agreement between owners, developers and users of a commercial space. But all other stakeholders were also involved. In the months following the decision, there was a lot of information and persuasion work to be done. At the same time, the development plan was drawn up and the planning procedure was carried out. Whether it was traffic reports or animal welfare, all those involved repeatedly worked out compromise solutions so as not to jeopardize construction progress. The close contacts between the investor, the municipality and the local authorities were beneficial. The willingness of landowners, residents and animal rights activists to engage in dialog as well as the commitment of the mayor, his staff and the authorities and, last but not least, the investor and project developer made the vision of a modern logistics site with future prospects in Rodgau a reality.

Entire park rented out

The first construction activities began in early 2014 and the project was successfully completed within just two years at the beginning of 2016. The park, with a total hall area of almost 100,000 square meters, has five 12-meter-high halls with freely divisible rental space. All of the properties were already let at the start of 2016. The companies that have settled here include Rossmann, PTG Lohnabfüllung, Rhenus Pharma Service und Logistics, Asendia Germany GmbH and the Geis Group. Depending on their requirements, the companies have rented between 2,800 and 42,000 square meters of commercial space. An estimated 900 new jobs have been created. This benefits the town of Rodgau in particular, which can use the new logistics park for its location marketing and hopes to attract further companies.

Darius Scheible