Plans for Poland Central unveiled

Europolis has signed an agreement with Poland Central to build the biggest logistics park in Central and Eastern Europe, which will be located in Grabica, on the outskirts of Piotrków Trybunalski.

"The investment will create one of the biggest logistic parks in Europe. This investment might make Piotrków the second logistics capital of Poland," said Waldemar Matusewicz, the Mayor of Piotrków Trybunalski.

The value of the investment amounts to e172 (zł.658) million. The total space in the warehousing and light-production project will come to 530,000 sqm. According to studies made by the University of Łódź in 2002 the park will create employment for 3,000 to 6,000 people. The construction of the infrastructure and the first warehouse, with a size of 44,000 sqm, will be launched in the middle of this year. The warehouse will be available for new tenants in December 2006.

"The next phases depend on the market and the logistic park is scheduled for completion within the next five to seven years. This is not an enthusiastic projection but a realistic one," said Bernhard Mayer, chairman of the board at Europolis. "This is the fourth logistic park near Piotrków and the current space occupied by logistics near the city is over 450,000 sqm," said Mayor Matusewicz. Bartłomiej Hofman, managing director of Europolis Real Estate Poland, hopes that this will be the first in a wave of investments in this part of the country: "Logistics managers estimate that the park will be a place enhancing development towards the east."

The park has already attracted international companies such as Ikea, Unilever, Ahold and Auchan. Situated some 47km south of Łódź and 137km southwest of Warsaw, Poland Central is close to the A1 highway, which links Warsaw, Katowice and Gdańsk.