Swiss Life Asset Managers has acquired additional land for the planned “Hanover North I” logistics property in Wietze, near Hanover. This expansion increases the size of the development site – which originally covered around 77,000 square metres – to a total of around 147,000 square metres. As a result, the planned lettable area increases to around 79,000 square metres. The first construction phase, comprising around 38,000 square metres of warehouse space, will go ahead regardless of whether the property has been pre-let. Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of 2026. Swiss Life Asset Managers is thus investing proactively in the project’s further development and creating space that will be available at an early stage for future users. GOLDBECK will act as the main contractor for the first construction phase.
With this site expansion, Swiss Life Asset Managers is further expanding its development activities in the established logistics region of northern Germany. The expanded project offers the opportunity to develop modern logistics space in a flexible manner, tailored to the specific requirements of different users.
“The fact that we are able to expand the project to include additional space even before construction begins demonstrates the confidence placed in our development and implementation expertise and confirms our role as a reliable partner in the development of logistics property,” says Ingo Steves, Managing Partner Logistics at Swiss Life Asset Managers. “This step underlines our ability, as a logistics platform operating across Europe, to deliver modern and future-proof logistics sites in strategic locations that create long-term added value for users, local authorities and investors.”
The site in the district of Celle is situated within the triangle formed by the major cities of Hanover, Bremen and Hamburg. Thanks to its excellent links to the A7 and A2 motorways, as well as its proximity to key infrastructure hubs such as the Hannover-Lehrte freight centre, Hannover-Langenhagen Airport and the Hannover container terminal, the region acts as a European gateway for freight distribution in Germany and thus offers attractive conditions for logistics and distribution operations.
“We are capitalising on the strength of the location and are therefore systematically expanding our project,” explains Moritz Löbbert, Development Director Logistics at Swiss Life Asset Managers. “With the additional space, we are creating greater flexibility for our clients and can respond even more effectively to their individual requirements. The expansion enables a client-centred approach to development and strengthens the long-term viability of the entire project.”
Following the extension, of the total rental area of around 79,000 square metres, approximately 69,000 square metres will be warehouse space, around 7,100 square metres will be mezzanine space, and around 2,900 square metres will be office and communal space. In the first phase of construction, around 38,000 square metres of warehouse space, around 1,900 square metres of office space and over 4,600 square metres of mezzanine space will be completed. The warehouse design allows for use by a single large tenant as well as a flexible layout for multiple tenants.
As with the original project, Swiss Life Asset Managers is also adopting a sustainable energy concept for the extended development. Plans include, amongst other things, photovoltaic systems on the rooftops, heat pumps and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The aim is for the building to achieve a ‘Very Good’ rating under the BREEAM certification scheme.
The expansion of ‘Hanover North I’ forms part of the Europe-wide ‘Roots’ development pipeline, through which Swiss Life Asset Managers is creating new development sites for modern and future-proof logistics space in key logistics regions across Europe.
