UK-based shed specialist Segro and French commercial developer Icade are teaming up on a state-of-the-art redevelopment of the Gobelins rail station, in the 13th district of Paris.
Financial details were not disclosed.
The two firms revealed that they have signed preliminary agreements to acquire land for the scheme, which represents a significant milestone in the delivery of the Reprendre Racines ('Back to our Roots') project. This is Segro and Icade’s development masterplan, which was selected by French national rail company SNCF and City of Paris as part of the Reinventing Paris 2 competition.
The scheme was alluded to in PropertyEU's recent online roundtable, The State of Logistics 2020.
The masterplan has been designed in collaboration with architectural and urban design firms Data Architectes and Anyoji Beltrando, and landscape design firm Wagon Landscaping, and will include a mix of office space, logistics space and public realm.
The project, which is scheduled to complete by 2025, will deliver a mix of commercial uses above and below ground in a city where developable space is limited.
Laurence Giard, general manager for France, Segro, said: 'This is a significant milestone as we advance a pioneering underground logistics scheme at Gobelins former railway station.
'The growth in ecommerce is driving demand for logistics space in major urban centres, where land for development is a scarce resource.
'The underground logistics hub proposed at Gobelins railway station is a new and innovative model for delivering logistics space at scale in one of Europe’s most densely populated cities, within a brand new world-class mixed-use destination.'
Segro will develop a 75,000 m2 underground logistics centre intended for urban distribution and last-mile delivery.
The hub will be developed to high environmental and wellness standards, including charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and delivery tricycles as well as recycling points and a bike repair centre.
Icade will deliver two office buildings totalling around 14,000 m2, providing workspaces to both local start-ups and more established companies in the Paris region. This will include sport facilities, urban greenhouses and a 1.3-hectare garden on the Olympiades esplanade.
