Panattoni Europe has laid the cornerstone in Sady (Tarnowo Podgorne municipality) near Poznań to commence the construction of a modern distribution centre for Amazon. The facility will take up more than 100,543 sqm, of which as much as 91,570 sqm constitutes warehouse space, enough space to fit some 2,800 trucks next to one another.
The ceremony was attended by Piotr Florek – Wielkopolska region Governor, Krzysztof Grabowski – Vice-Marshall of Wielkopolska region, Jerzy Stępień – Vice-Mayor of the city of Poznan, Jan Grabkowski – Head of Poznan County, Tadeusz Czajka – Mayor of Tarnowo Podgórne, Raimund Paetzmann – Amazon EU Real Estate Director and Robert Dobrzycki – Managing Partner for Europe, Panattoni Europe – the project developer.
Timothy Collins, Director or European Operations for Amazon, said, “We are very excited to be investing here. This day signifies the beginning of a long relationship between us and the community of Tarnowo Podgorne and the Wielkopolska region. We greatly appreciative all the support we’ve received for the community to make this multi-hundred million Euro investment become reality. The new facilities in Poland will play an integral part in serving our customers all over Europe, and we couldn’t be happier and more pleased with our decision to place them here”.
Panattoni Europe’s facility for Amazon near Poznan plans to employ up to 3,000 employees. Office and staff facilities have been planned on two storeys taking up 8,972 sqm. The facility will feature 2,154 car parking spaces, 97 truck spaces, 32 handicapped spaces, 16 motorcycle spaces, and 60 reloading docks.
Construction works commenced at the end of last year and will continue until mid-August 2014, when the warehouse is to be commissioned.
Robert Dobrzycki, Managing Partner Panattoni Europe, commented on the development of the distribution centre: “Poznań and its surrounding area constitute a dynamically growing market with a strong standing of the country’s third location in terms of the existing warehouse space. It is also a market where Panattoni Europe has had some success, and that is why I am very proud that as a developer we can contribute to the continued growth of this region.”
He added: “Apart from the facility in Poznań, we are developing a project for Amazon in Bielany near Wroclaw. The combined space of the two facilities will total more than 200,000 sqm, which is an exceptional and unprecedented feat for a variety of reasons. It is not only the largest warehousing and logistics transaction for Panattoni Europe to date, but also a record-breaking one in Central and Eastern Europe. The cost of each of the facilities amounts to around €65 million and, importantly – they will be built by Polish subcontractors”.
