The public-sector developer has a large landbank of former industrial and military sites in the Berlin area and is looking for private-sector partners
Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft für Sädtebau, Wohnen und Verkehr Brandenburg mbH (LEG Brandenburg) is the largest developer of former industrial and military sites in the Brandenburg region.
Set up in 1991, the company is owned by the Land Brandenburg and operates within the framework of regional development. Projects include urban development, housing and transport.
Over the next few years, LEG will develop projects with a total investment value of €6.39bn (DM12.5bn). Around a quarter of the schemes will be developed directly by LEG; for the other projects LEG will be in charge of the site preparation, setting up the infrastructure and selling the land to investors and developers. Around 40% of LEG’s projects are residential.
LEG’s largest project is in Wünsdorf, 30km south of Berlin, on the former headquarters of the Western Group of Forces.
The military town covers an area of 600ha of which 400ha are taken up by residential properties. The former barracks will be converted into residential units. Upon completion this will provide about 4,000 housing units. Half the buildings have been completed, and two thirds of these are let.
Ultimately 5,000 residential units will be built over a period of 10 years. The residential developments are partly undertaken through a 50:50 joint venture between LEG Brandenburg and DKB Deutsche Kreditbank AG, Berlin.
One of the pearls in an otherwise difficult portfolio is the site of the 1936 Olympic Village just 10km outside Berlin. After the Olympic Games the area was used by the armed forces. Over a period of 15 years, flats for 7,000 residents will be built. So far 260 units have been completed by converting the former officers’ quarters into housing units. Almost half the flats were let within the first month.
Another project, a former military site in Neu-Döberitz, is located close to one of Berlin’s arterial roads just 5km from the municipal boundary. Together with Herlitz Falkenhöh, LEG is developing a housing complex which will include commercial developments. Around €86.9m (DM170m) will be spent on site preparation, development and infrastructure and the total investment is estimated at €664.7m (DM1.3bn) over 10 to 15 years.
LEG’s commercial development programme includes three freight and logistics centres. These are designed to provide an integrated freight concept for the Berlin-Brandenburg region that will optimise Berlin’s location while at the same time reducing road freight traffic.
The sites are being developed and prepared by LEG. The land will then be sold to investors, mainly owner-occupiers, which will build according to their specific requirements. LEG is working on three projects in Grossbeeren, Wustermark and Freienbrink. In Grossbeeren, investors have bought 45ha of the 150ha available. The largest individual project is a 90,000m2 distribution centre for the Lidl supermarket chain.
Wustermark Freight Centre features a total site area of 265ha. Around 16ha of the land which has been prepared for development has been sold. At the Freienbrink Commercial Logistics Centre and Business Park, located close to the major east-west rail and road connections, 60% of the 130ha available has been sold.
LEG
Seeburger Chaussee 2
D – 14476
Gross Glienicke
tel +49 33201 270
fax +49 33201 27450
www.leg-brandenburg.de