ProDelta Real Estate and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are to radically redevelop almost 4 hectares of the Waalhaven Zuid business park, the company said in its press release. The Port Authority will demolish the current sheds on both sides of Hilgersweg, in stages. This will lose its public function and become part of the Distriport Waalhaven complex, which ProDelta is developing. This company will develop over 32,000 m2 of space for the handling and storage of merchandise, in two stages. This will involve an investment of around €14 million, excluding the land. A start will be made on the demolition of the existing buildings for stage 1 this month. Construction will begin soon afterwards and should be completed by January 2015.
The Waalhaven area has played an important role in the development of the port for about 100 years and is still of great economic value. Due to its position within the Rotterdam ring and its good access, the Waalhaven is an attractive location for port-related business. That’s why the area was revitalised in the 1990s, one result being the office development on Waalhaven Oostzijde and Zuidzijde.
For a few years now, the Port Authority has been developing a new regeneration plan for the Waalhaven Zuid business park. Some of the existing real estate here is seriously outdated and no longer meets current market needs. Over the past few years the Port Authority has purchased the necessary fragmented and outdated property with a view to facilitating the redevelopment of old areas.
ProDelta Real Estate has been a developer and investor in logistics and industrial real estate since 1946. The real estate portfolio comprises more than 500,000 m² of buildings divided over 120 hectares. The real estate activities are centred on the delta and the port of Rotterdam’s hinterland, the province of Brabant and the port of Antwerp. The company is looking to expand its portfolio in existing projects, but also in large-scale development and redevelopment locations.