Based on internal research data, Logivest GmbH, a nationwide consulting firm focusing on logistics properties, has analysed the development of brownfield projects in the new build sector for 2025. The study identified relevant new construction projects on derelict land in Germany. Brownfields will account for a significant proportion of new build projects in 2025. In half of Germany's 24 top logistics regions, brownfield share dominates new construction. In five of these regions, this share amounted to more than 60 percent, and in another five regions, it even exceeded 80 percent. This development is particularly visible in industrially shaped areas such as the Ruhr region or Hanover, where the decline of traditional industry has left large derelict sites, the use of which is increasingly gaining importance for the logistics property sector.
Land Scarcity and Sustainability as Drivers
The progressive scarcity of greenfield sites for logistics projects is forcing the reuse of existing areas. Particularly in the eastern Ruhr region, the repurposing of brownfield sites is considered unavoidable. Few free plots are also available near city centres and within urban areas. In regions such as Stuttgart and Rhine-Main, the brownfield share of the annual new build volume is over 80 percent. In urban centres, new logistics construction projects also compete with residential construction for available plots.
The revitalisation of brownfield sites not only helps to address land scarcity but also promotes ecological sustainability, as no additional land is newly sealed when sites are reused. These locations often offer the advantage of a central position and an already established infrastructure, which is beneficial for users of logistics properties.
Projects and Outlook
Successful brownfield projects realised in 2025 include an approximately 63,000 square metre logistics property by Garbe in Salzgitter on the former site of a rail vehicle manufacturer, as well as an approximately 60,000 square metre logistics park by MLP Group in Gelsenkirchen on a former industrial area.
The share of revitalised brownfield sites in the annual new build volume has continuously increased in recent years; from 35 percent in 2022 to 45 percent in 2025. For the coming years, over 7 million square metres of new build projects on brownfields are already planned, which corresponds to almost half of the total projected new build area of 14.8 million square metres. The largest future brownfield projects include:
- —A logistics and commercial park in Mülheim with an area of around 160,000 square metres.
- —A multi-user park by CTP in Düsseldorf with approximately 232,000 square metres.
- —A commercial, production, and logistics park by Four Parx and QUINCAP in Kirchheim near Munich with around 52,000 square metres of rental space.
- —A first construction phase for an approximately 62,000 square metre logistics property by Prologis in Dortmund, on a brownfield that is planned to encompass a total of 130,000 square metres of new build area in the future.
Brownfield sites therefore remain a central factor for the future new construction of logistics properties. Their importance continues to grow in the context of structural change, the lack of available land in urban agglomerations, and the necessity for more sustainable development.
