Urban Partners and HIH Invest acquire logistics asset in Germany

Urban Partners and HIH Invest have formed a joint venture to acquire a logistics development project in Garbsen, Lower Saxony. 

Garbsen logistics

This marks their third collaborative effort, focusing on sustainable, development-ready logistics properties in Germany.
The project, largely funded by Urban Partners' NSF V fund, will involve the construction of a 15,000 m2 hall on a 25,000 m2 site. Construction is set to begin in early 2026, with completion and occupancy expected by the end of the same year. Notably, the entire property has already been pre-leased on a long-term basis.
This acquisition represents Urban Partners' tenth logistics investment in Germany, bringing their managed logistics portfolio in the country to over 210,000 m2. Previous joint acquisitions include projects in Herten and Bensheim.
The Garbsen logistics project is strategically located in an established commercial and industrial park, offering excellent transportation links. It provides direct access to the B6 federal highway, connecting to the A2 and A352 motorways. Hanover Airport is less than a 20-minute drive away, and the Hanover-Lehrte freight centre is approximately 30 minutes away.
Lars Bothe, head of Value Add Investments at HIH Invest, said: “With this third acquisition within just a few months, the joint venture’s investment volume has risen to the hundreds of millions. We continue to look for attractive deals and already have several projects in our acquisition pipeline. HIH Invest’s experience with logistics transactions totalling over €1.5 bn makes us one of the leading investment managers for logistics in Germany.”
Maximilian Tappert, head of Transaction Logistics at HIH Invest, explained: “The logistics hall offers a flexible layout suitable for third-party use and can be divided into two rental units. The completed building meets current sustainability requirements and is being constructed in accordance with the taxonomy. A DGNB Gold certificate is being pursued. The building is heated by a heat pump, and a photovoltaic system will be installed on the roof.”
Wolfgang Ködel, managing director at Urban Partners, said: “With this transaction, Urban Partners and HIH Invest are strengthening their successful partnership in a strategically important market with high demand for high-quality and sustainable logistics properties. The development in Garbsen is already our third joint project and, thanks to a high pre-leasing rate from resilient key sectors, will generate stable cash flow.”
Legal due diligence was conducted by Ashurst, while Drees & Sommer provided technical consulting services.