First Column of New VGP Park Nijmegen: Development on Park 15
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PRESS RELEASE First column of new VGP Park Nijmegen: Development on Park 15 enters second phase 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, 1 February 2021 - The first columns have been placed for a second building by VGP on Park 15, in Oosterhout, Gelderland. It marks the start of construction of a warehouse that, in its first phase, will have a total size of 42,800 m2. The new location will be taken into use next autumn. The new building on Park 15 is part of VGP Park Nijmegen in Oosterhout. A strategically very good location between Arnhem and Nijmegen, directly on the A15 motorway and close to the German border. Other major motorways, such as the A73 and A50, are nearby and transport by rail or river is also possible. VGP Park Nijmegen, named after the nearest large city for international recognition, is part of the development known as Bedrijvenpark Park 15 Logistics. Previously, Nabuurs and Lidl, among others, were located here. VGP Park Nijmegen covers a total of over 350,000 m2 of building land, intended for the construction of large-scale warehouses for logistical and semi-industrial activities. A first building, with a total leased area of 67,500 m2, has meanwhile been completed and fully leased to Conpax, OTC Medical, Ahold Delhaize, ESTG and Nippon Express Nederland. The first column, placed on 4 January, clearly shows the construction of a second building on the park. The first phase of this second building, with a surface area of 40,000 m2, is currently being constructed on a plot of more than 20 hectares. This has already been fully leased to AG Logistics Services. For AG Logistics Services, VGP Park Nijmegen is the fourth location of this logistics company, all located in the Nijmegen-Arnhem region - also known as Logistics Valley. "We were short of space in Wijchen, so a new hall was needed. Initially, we considered building one ourselves, just as we are doing now in Ede. But we came into contact with VGP and what they have to offer suits us. The location is great and we do not have to invest in the construction ourselves. Moreover, the mutual cooperation on the site appeals to us because we all rent from the same party. We don't need the whole surface for our own operation, so in part we are still looking for storage customers. The car park is not fully used by us either. Other tenants can park there if necessary. "Helping each other, moving forward together," says Arie Thomassen, founder of AG Logistics Services. VGP is originally a Belgian company that started out in the Czech Republic. It is a family business that in more than twenty years has grown into a major European player. VGP develops and builds logistics accommodation in twelve countries. What is special is that everything the family business builds 1⎥ 3 remains under its own management. This means that a great deal of attention is paid to sustainability. "Everything we build is at least BREEAM Very Good certified. In addition we have a subsidiary in renewable energy, which we make use of by covering every roof with solar panels", says Gijs Spruijt, technical director Benelux at VGP and as such involved in the development of VGP Park Nijmegen. Another ingredient for creating sustainability is the right choice of construction material. "We choose a concrete supporting structure for all our projects. It requires little maintenance and has a very long lifespan. Moreover, the floors can take high loads, which fits in with our 'build-to-suit' concept. We go to great lengths to tailor our floors to the needs of our tenants. If a building has to be converted at a later stage with mezzanines, extra office space or if it is given a semi-industrial use, then this is no problem within such a concrete construction," says Spruijt. The building, including the high-quality concrete construction, will be carried out by Willy Naessens Industriebouw. The originally Belgian construction company is now present in large parts of Europe and has had a foothold in the Netherlands for over six years. Concrete construction is the company's DNA because it has a number of major advantages over steel construction. One of these is its long life and robustness, which Spruijt has already touched on. "Another advantage is the reduction of columns. With concrete trusses, large free spans can be achieved. This gives much more flexibility on the floor for the layout of the hall," says Herman Wijgerse, site manager at Willy Naessens Industriebouw Nederland. Another advantage of working with Willy Naessens is that the company has everything under its own control. From eleven precast concrete plants to pile drivers and cranes. "We can plan everything well from the start and are not dependent on third parties. That prevents delays," says Wijgerse. The development of the huge logistics centre in 'Logistics Valley' will obviously have a great impact on the region. Councillor Brigitte Faber-de Lange of the Overbetuwe municipality, which includes Oosterhout, is pleased with Park 15 and the VGP Park. "It fits within the strategy that we have outlined within the green metropolitan region of Arnhem-Nijmegen, with its eighteen member municipalities. We want to prevent that here and there in this region large buildings for XXL-logistics are erected. That is why we are concentrating this on Park 15, among other places," says Faber-de Lange. In this way, the region has control over the buildings and can ensure that everything fits together. "That creates a calm image. It is also easier to adapt the infrastructure to it. It has a direct connection to the A15 motorway and that relieves the surrounding area. Where necessary, we adapt roads to the increased traffic to the park. On the park itself, the companies are responsible for their own infrastructure", says the councillor. To which Spruijt added that a cooperative has been set up with all the companies present at Park 15 for the construction and maintenance of the local infrastructure. Just like VGP, the municipality has sustainability high on its agenda. "In that respect, the way in which the park is being shaped fits our image perfectly. It means a lot to this area. It will provide employment, especially given the growth that this sector is now experiencing. In ten years' time, the number of employees in logistics has doubled. That is why we have a lot of training in this region that is aimed at a future in this sector. So the knowledge is just around the corner," Faber-de Lange concludes. Because of all the corona measures, the traditional meeting for placing the first column was skipped. 2⎥ 3 CONTACT DETAILS FOR POTENTIAL TENANTS AND MEDIA ENQUIRIES Geerd van Helden Tel: +32 (0)486 74 13 04 Commercial Director VGP Benelux Karen Huybrechts Tel: +32 (0)3 289 1432 Head of Marketing VGP ABOUT VGP VGP is a pan-European developer, manager and owner of high-quality logistics and semiindustrial real estate. VGP operates a fully integrated business model with capabilities and longstanding expertise across the value chain. The company has a development land bank (owned or committed) of 7.48 million m² and the strategic focus is on the development of business parks. Founded in 1998 as a family- owned real estate developer in the Czech Republic, VGP with a staff of around 300 employees today owns and operates assets in 12 European countries directly and through its joint ventures VGP European Logistics, VGP European Logistics 2 and VGP Park München. As of June 2020, the Gross Asset Value of VGP, including the joint ventures at 100%, amounted to €3.23 billion and the company had a Net Asset Value (EPRA NAV) of €1,079 million. VGP is listed on Euronext Brussels and on the Prague Stock Exchange (ISIN: BE0003878957). For more information, please visit: http://www.vgpparks.eu 3⎥ 3 .