Garbe pushing ahead with first development project in Italy
Garbe Industrial Real Estate is pushing ahead with its first development project in Italy: the 83,000 sq m logistics park in Silvano Pietra, near Pavia in Lombardy, will be completed by November, the group said.
The Grade A logistics park is beside the A7 motorway and close to the A21 motorway. The main building, 500 metres wide, will have 12 metre-high ceilings and it will be divided into eight separate and independent sections, each with 10,000 sq m of usable space. There will also be 3,700 sq m of offices.
“Demand for logistics asset is very strong in Italy, especially in the most economically strategic areas where demand is higher than supply,” said Garbe’s country head Italy Marco Grassidonio. “Our tenants are very interested in the Greater Milan area and our new investment will also strengthen our synergies with local companies and create new jobs.”
Garbe is seeking LEED platinum certification for the new asset, which is being built to be sustainable and energy-efficient. Large windows along the sides of the building and skylights on the roof will let in natural light, LED lighting will be used throughout and water consumption will be reduced by collecting rainwater.
By the end of the year, when the building will be complete, 300 jobs will be created in the new structure.
“Silvano Pietra, a major development project with 83,000 sq m of covered space, has been designed and built with ESG principles in mind and will add enormous value to the area,” said Sara Labrini, senior technical development manager, Garbe Italy. “The new hub, thanks also to its Leed platinum certification, will be one of the most sustainable and low-energy logistics asset in Northern Italy.”
Garbe has been very active in Italy since opening its first office in the country in 2021. In the last 18 months it has acquired €230 million’s worth of properties in the development and investment categories. In December last year the group, with its partner Union Investment, acquired a portfolio of two new logistics buildings at Castel San Pietro, near Bologna, from Hines.
“We will continue to look for suitable areas for logistics development in northern and central Italy this year,” said Grassidonio.