Instone Real Estate and Ginkgo Fund have established a partnership for the joint development of the “Benrather Gärten” project in Düsseldorf. The project site, a former industrial area of approximately 15 hectares in the south of Düsseldorf, is to be transformed into an urban quarter in the coming years. Planning includes the creation of 800 to 1,000 residential units, complemented by social infrastructure, commercial and office spaces, as well as public and private green areas. Instone Real Estate will maintain the lead in project management and remain the primary point of contact for all stakeholders.
Ginkgo is one of Europe's leading platforms for the revitalisation of former industrial, logistics and commercial sites. The company was founded in 2010 in cooperation with Edmond de Rothschild. The collaboration between the two companies combines Instone's experience in developing residential quarters with Ginkgo's expertise in brownfield revitalisation. This partnership commences at an early stage of project development, with the aim of developing the “Benrather Gärten” into a future-proof quarter for living, working and leisure.
Strategic Partnership and Potential
Kruno Crepulja, CEO of Instone Real Estate Group SE, commented on the partnership. He emphasised that the “Benrather Gärten” represents a form of district development that has long characterised Instone's portfolio: the conversion of former urban industrial sites into sustainable and liveable urban quarters with appropriate social infrastructure. Crepulja highlighted that Ginkgo's expertise in brownfield revitalisation ideally complements Instone's experience. Ginkgo's early commitment underscores the attractiveness of the undertaking. Instone is thus continuing its strategy of implementing selected large-scale projects with long-term oriented partners to expand development capacities and continue its growth trajectory. The German residential property market continues to offer potential for targeted investments.
Instone has deliberately expanded its project pipeline in recent quarters through land acquisitions. The “Benrather Gärten” represents one of the most significant conversion projects in Düsseldorf, intended to contribute to internal development and the creation of much-needed housing. Guillaume Ribet and Bruno Farber, founding partners of Ginkgo, confirmed that their commitment to the “Benrather Gärten” reflects the conviction that brownfield projects in strong metropolitan regions have long-term potential. The cooperation with Instone is based on a shared understanding of sustainable district development. They stated their intention to bring their revitalisation experience to the development of the former industrial site to create long-term added value for Benrath and Düsseldorf.
Background and Timeline
The “Benrather Gärten” project is being developed on the former Outokumpu and Thyssen-Krupp-Nirosta site in Düsseldorf-Benrath. The development is based on the winning design from the urban planning competition in 2017. As part of the development plan procedure, the plans are to be elaborated in more detail in the coming years. The demolition of existing buildings, a necessary step for the required soil and contaminant remediation, is scheduled for autumn this year.
