Griesheim Industrial Park

Planning objectives
The planning objective is to ensure that in the long term the Griesheim Industrial Park is put to new, sustainable, and appropriate use by industry, commerce, and the trades. Consideration will be paid in this regard to what industry and commerce currently expects of such parks, namely sustainable mobility, environmentally friendly buildings, and new operational forms (such as computer centers).

Planning focuses on defining parameters for the size and design of buildings, the spread of uses across the park, and the design of public spaces, not to mention the structure of internal, outgoing, and incoming traffic. Firm objectives include:

• Industrial and commercial use: The aim is for Griesheim Industrial Park to house different types of commercial uses, in particular modern operational forms. The City of Frankfurt’s existing concepts and resolutions will come to bear here. Buildings shall be aligned to the surroundings in order to exploit the potential (riverbank) and not place an undue burden on uses in the vicinity, such as housing in particular.

• Construction standards for commercial buildings: The goal is for Griesheim Industrial Park to meet modern standards for energy usage, renewable energy, waste heat use, and greening and act as a beacon. Selected existing buildings will be preserved in order to highlight the estate’s history.

• Water management: The Griesheim Industrial Park will adopt new approaches in the field of water management as regards process and surface water, and thus reduce water consumption levels.

• Attractive working conditions: The public spaces of the Griesheim Industrial Park will be attractive and adjusted to the climate so they become an appealing destination for employees and all Frankfurt citizens alike.

• Public access and use of the riverbank: The Main riverside will be redesigned to make it suitable for pedestrians, cyclists, and as a leisure zone and to create an uninterrupted axis along the north bank. The riverside will be designed to attract users from well beyond Griesheim Industrial Park.

• Protection of the local ecology: The ecologically invaluable meadow woodlands between Stroofstrasse and the riverbank to the west of the sewage plant will be fully preserved in their current function.

• Transportation planning in light of operational needs: In the design of the transportation areas and the public spaces in and around Griesheim Industrial Park, the focus should be on the needs of the industrial and commercial outfits there. The potential expansion of a cycle-path and pavement along Stroofstrasse must not therefore impair the use of the road for commercial traffic. The suitability of the road infrastructure for commercial traffic and freight haulage must not be restricted in any way, and this must be secured as part of preparing the land-use plan.

• Promoting sustainable mobility: The industrial park must be designed so as to promote sustainable mobility and thus contribute to the mobility transition. Thus, the proportion of transportation provided by the local public authorities and above all non-motorized transportation must be increased, and modern and innovative solutions deployed (e-mobility services, car-sharing, bike-sharing, neighborhood underground carparks, shuttle busses, etc.).

• Embedded into the Griesheim context: The industrial park must incorporate, support, and strengthen the development objectives for central Griesheim.

Planning (masterplan and land-use plan) will reflect the development objectives of both the City of Frankfurt and the property owners, specifically BEOS AG as the leaseholder, in a variety of fields. Moreover, they shall form the basis for evaluating future construction and planning projects. In the course of the district development pursued, in particular little used areas or those not used at all shall be readied for new commercial utilization. This will help with tapping the potential of downtown land and at the same time enabling the companies currently located there to remain. Planning must include efforts to ensure that despite its different owners and leaseholders, Griesheim Industrial Park is developed in uniform and high-grade fashion.

Project progress

Next steps

• Comprehensive assessment of requirements (e.g., expert reports on biodiversity protection)
• Compiling a draft land-use plan.

March 2, 2023:  The City Council approves both the masterplan and the preparation of a land-use plan (agenda item M12 of 2023).

2022

• Disposition of almost the entire area by BEOS AG following the takeover of additional areas from SGL Carbon SE
• Start of demolition of existing buildings on the sites by BEOS AG
• Preparatory measures for new buildings

2021:

• Development of a master plan for the entire industrial park including surrounding open spaces by the city council with the involvement of all relevant specialist departments (city planning office, environmental office, green spaces office, road construction and development office, road traffic office, city drainage, energy department, business development, building inspectorate)
• Preparation of a resolution to secure planning approval for the legal zoning plan

2020:

• Acquisition of a large part of the Griesheim industrial park land from BEOS AG on a leasehold basis
• Start of urban planning considerations for the redevelopment of the areas
• Start of initial consultations with the municipal authorities