AMELIS Projektentwicklungs GmbH & Co. KG has sold a central plot of land on the future district square in the Rondorf Nord-West district to GARBE Urban Real Estate. A modern local shopping centre and more than 170 rental apartments are to be built on a site area of 6,904 square metres. Construction is scheduled to start in summer 2027, and the project development is scheduled to be completed in 2029.
For the local shopping centre, GARBE Urban Real Estate is planning to build five commercial units with a total of around 3,800 square metres of rental space in conventional solid construction. In addition to a full-range retailer, space is planned for a drugstore, a pharmacy and other service and commercial uses. This is to ensure a reliable supply of goods for daily needs to the future residents of Neu-Rondorf and the existing neighbourhood in Alt-Rondorf.
"With the sale of the property to GARBE, we have created the basis for an efficient local supply, which will be supplemented by a variety of residential uses. The project thus sets another important building block for a lively, mixed-use district," Amelis managing directors Jörg Wieck and Björn Zimmer are pleased to say.
The residential building – from the first to the fifth floor – will be developed in timber hybrid construction. On a gross floor area of around 13,300 square metres, a balanced mix of one- to four-room apartments with different floor plans and apartment sizes is planned, which is intended to appeal to a diverse target group. In addition, the construction of approx. 180 car parking spaces in an underground car park is planned. The entire project will be built in the EH40 EE efficiency class and is expected to receive the DGNB's gold sustainability certificate and the QNG seal upon completion.
"For the new building in Rondorf, we are relying on the combination of different uses and construction methods," says Ivo Gotsche, head of the NRW location of GARBE Urban Real Estate in Cologne. "On the one hand, we combine the residential and retail asset classes and can thus cover the different needs and requirements of future residents. On the other hand, we combine proven solid construction with our innovative timber hybrid construction. In this way, we use the advantages of both types of construction and start saving CO2 during construction."
Tailwind for the overall Rondorf North-West project
The sale of the property to GARBE Urban Real Estate is a significant milestone in the implementation of the new Rondorf Nord-West urban district. Rondorf Nord-West is currently the largest privately financed residential construction project in Cologne and is being built on an area of around 40 hectares. The quarter envisages around 1,300 residential units in various construction forms, social infrastructure such as daycare centres and schools, as well as green and open spaces. About 30 percent of the apartments are publicly subsidized. The offer is supplemented by modern energy and mobility concepts that enable climate-friendly supply and short distances in everyday life.
Development work in the quarter has been underway since the beginning of 2025. The completion of the development measures for the first construction phase is planned for the first quarter of 2026, so that the first building construction projects can begin in the course of 2026.
