Together with representatives of the municipality of Lichtenau, the tenant vanWylick and the general contractor MAX BÖGL, DFI Real Estate celebrated the topping-out ceremony for its logistics property under construction in Lichtenau, Middle Franconia. The modern cold store is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026. The property will be owned by a fund of SICORE Real Assets.
A total of 19,660 square meters of rental space will be created on the approximately 39,000 square meter site in the street “Zur Salzleite”. Of this, 17,175 square metres will be hall space, 1,165 square metres will be office and social space and 1,320 square metres will be warehouse mezzanine. The property is used by vanWylick in a three-shift operation for the storage, picking, packaging and handling of fruit and vegetables. This will create around 100 new jobs in the region.
“The topping-out ceremony is an important milestone for our project in Lichtenau. We are creating a state-of-the-art and sustainable cold store here that is perfectly tailored to vanWylick’s requirements. Our thanks go to all the trades that made this construction work possible on schedule,” says Andreas Fleischer, Managing Director of DFI Real Estate.
“This project is a strong signal for Lichtenau as a business location. I am particularly pleased that modern jobs are being created here and that high sustainability standards are being implemented at the same time,” explains Markus Nehmer, First Mayor of the Lichtenau market.
“The new property offers us ideal conditions – both due to the excellent connections and the sustainable energy concept. We look forward to putting the site into operation in the third quarter of 2026,” says Bastian Haupts from vanWylick.
Sustainable concept according to the highest standards
DFI Real Estate is aiming for the DGNB Sustainability Certificate 2023 in gold for the project. The cold store will be equipped with a CO₂-based, climate-neutral refrigeration system. A photovoltaic system with a peak output of around 1.9 megawatts ensures a sustainable energy supply and supports energy-intensive cooling technology in particular. In addition, a heat pump is used in the heated areas of the building. In addition, 95 car parking spaces including e-charging infrastructure as well as ten truck parking spaces and corresponding waiting areas will be created.
The logistics property impresses with its optimal connection to the supra-regional logistics regions of Nuremberg and Rhine-Neckar as well as its direct access to the A6 motorway.
Part of Germany’s first impact fund for new-build logistics properties
The project development in Lichtenau is part of the initial portfolio of SICORE Logistics Impact, which was launched in autumn 2023 – Germany’s first impact fund for new-build logistics properties in accordance with Article 9 of the EU Disclosure Regulation.
