Partial hereditary building rights for two areas covering about 63,000 square metres in the north-western section of the campus have been sold to the American data centre developer and operator CyrusOne. The waste heat from the data centres will be used as heating energy in the future.
Swiss Life Asset Managers and BEOS have announced further progress with the campus development FRANKFURT WESTSIDE, what was formerly Griesheim Industrial Park, and which encompasses about 70 hectares: in August the two construction plots L1 and L2 in the north-western section of the campus with a total area of approx. 63,000 square metres were successfully sold. The buyer of the partial hereditary building rights for the two areas is the global data centre operator CyrusOne, which is moving ahead with its expansion plans in the German and European markets thanks to the acquisition. It was agreed that confidentiality be maintained regarding the purchase price. A project company of BEOS AG and Swiss Life Asset Managers had taken over the former industrial park at the beginning of 2020 during a general leasehold agreement from the owner Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH.
“We are pleased that in CyrusOne we have found a reliable, long-term partner for FRANKFURT WESTSIDE who in the future will play a key role in the implementation of our ambitious ESG agenda. Our companies are united by many common visions, and in particular with regard to sustainability,” says Holger Matheis, CEO of Swiss Life Asset Managers in Germany.
CyrusOne is a leading global data centre developer and operator specialising in delivering stat-of-the-art digital infrastructure solutions across the globe. With more than 50 high-performance mission-critical facilities worldwide, the Company ensures the continued operation of digital infrastructure for nearly 800 customers, including approximately 200 Fortune 1000 companies. The purchase represents a significant financial investment for CyrusOne in the local construction and manufacturing markets over the coming years. At 81 megawatts across nine floors in two buildings of three storeys each, this will be the company’s biggest development to date in Frankfurt, all designed with sustainability at its heart.
“Frankfurt is an incredibly important location for CyrusOne in Europe with 115 megawatts across four data centres and another 65 megawatts under construction, so it’s a real milestone to be planning our seventh facility in the city.” explains Andreas Paduch, Area Vice President, European Sales at CyrusOne. “We are thrilled to have BEOS, an experienced and innovative local organization, as a key partner for this build at FRANKFURT WESTSIDE. It’s fantastic to work with a company so aligned with us on sustainability and biodiversity goals as we move forward enhancing the campus surroundings and benefit the wider local community.”
Focus on sustainability
The partial sale of the construction plots plays an important role in the sustainability strategy of the development of the quarter: the waste heat from the data centres will be used as heating energy for the rest of the campus in the future and is thus a prerequisite for the consistent renouncement of fossil fuels being pursued in the framework of the project.
In July 2022 FRANKFURT WESTSIDE was awarded ‘Platinum’ pre-certification by Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB) during a festive ceremony on the site. For the large-scale project with a development period of about 15 years BEOS AG, which functions within Swiss Life Asset Managers as a centre of competence for corporate real estate, is pursuing far-reaching and ambitious development goals. To this end a transport and mobility concept has been elaborated to enhance and improve pedestrian traffic, cycle paths and local public transport, with an attractive greening and open space concept, as well as an innovative and integral energy concept including the renouncement of conventional heating media.
“The chemical industry was active for over 180 years in Griesheim Industrial Park. Now is the time to shape the future of FRANKFURT WESTSIDE, by acting courageously and responsibly – not just for us, but also for future generations. In this respect the collaboration with CyrusOne is an important element, which fits in seamlessly with our sustainability strategy,” says Mathias Strauch, project head at BEOS AG.
From a chemical park to a modern commercial campus
The joint project company of BEOS AG and Swiss Life Asset Managers GmbH had already concluded the leasehold agreement with the owner Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH for some 70 hectares of the former chemical plant in January 2020. BEOS and Swiss Life Asset Managers are pursuing the objective of tapping the existing potential of the site, repositioning the location, and creating an open and future-viable commercial district with a variety of uses and a focus on sustainability.
At present, extensive decommissioning and development measures are under way. The civil engineering developments on the other construction plots are to commence in 2026. Likewise, work is being conducted on an innovative und integral energy concept, including the renouncement of conventional heating media. The final project developments are to be concluded around 2035.
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Swiss Life Asset Managers Deutschland
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Michelle Günther
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