The German Brownfield Association (DBV), which includes companies such as the logistics service provider Fiege and real estate developers such as Garbe and Prologis, currently reports a membership of around 150 and continues to be involved in the repurposing and reuse of numerous commercial areas - including for logistics purposes.
Photos: DBV
120 members attended the recent annual general meeting at the DigitalCampus of the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex. For example, Garbe Regeneration, a subsidiary of thyssenkrupp Materials Services, recently acquiredaroughly 40,000 square meter brownfield site in Bielefeld, which will continue to be used as a sales location by the materials trader Thyssenkrupp Schulte on Arthur-Ladebeck-Straße until the end of the year, before GarbeRegeneration. takes over the site
Check usage
Thyssenkrupp Schulte, part of Thyssenkrupp Materials Services, will consolidate its Bielefeld operations at its site on Südring. "We already have building permits and ideas for the realization of the Garbe Industrial Park Bielefeld"explains Rick Mädel, Managing Director of Garbe's revitalization division. "However, before we make a final decision, we are still examining other potential uses."
The conveyor technology is already in place...
Another project promoted by the members involves transforming the concrete plant into a transformation site in East Berlin, one of the largest privately owned commercial areas in the Berlin district of Lichtenberg.
A sustainable, flexible commercial structure is being developed on approximately 200,000 m² of land on the site of a former concrete plant. The aim is a mixed-use development encompassing municipal functions, local amenities, logistics, and space for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Transformation sites
“We are not developing a traditional industrial park, but rather a long-term, transformative site,”says André Karl, Managing Director of the Karl Group, which has been commissioned for the project. Here, too, the principle of “brownfield before greenfield” followed: through the dismantling of historical structures, de-sealing, reuse of mineral building materials, and site preparation compliant with ESG standards. This will prevent further land sealing and implement the principles of a circular economy in concrete terms.
At the general meeting in Essen, it became clear that revitalization is not a peripheral issue, but a central component of sustainable site development. The focus was on concrete initiatives such as the Brownfield Certificate, a Brownfield Register, a "Brownfield Award"and trade fair appearances. A highlight of the event was a "Power Hour" featuring presentations from the German Demolition Association, DMU Consult, the Urban Mining Movement, RWTH Aachen University, and Schüco International.
