Intospace® is now the sole owner of a state-of-the-art redevelopment in Utrecht

Intospace® recently acquired the shares of IRE-RE Lage Weide JV from its investment partner Invesco. With the acquisition of these shares, Intospace has become 100% owner of three distribution centres with a combined area of 68,000 m2 located at the Kanaaldijk in Utrecht. The distribution centres are leased long-term to three large prominent Dutch retailers, who supply the surrounding urban areas from here.

The Utrecht location on the Lage Weide industrial estate previously housed a concrete mixing plant and several other heavy industrial companies. Together with Invesco, intospace® purchased the land plots, demolished all the old buildings and remediated the entire site. The existing quay was restored and the access roads rebuilt, making the site suitable for three modern logistic centres. When the old buildings were demolished, almost all materials were recycled and one of the largest warehouses was even completely reused. The building was dismantled and given a new life as a storage location for potatoes near Bant in the Noordoostpolder. A fine example of creative circular development.

The 3 newly realised distribution centres are maximally sustainable and energy-positive. The total roof area will be filled with solar panels with an annual production of 7.2 million kilowatt hours, equivalent to the power consumption of about 2,500 households. The energy generated far exceeds the combined energy needs of the 3 users, making the buildings energy-positive. The installation could be further expanded with large-scale batteries and charging facilities, making it fully prepared for the future electrification of the three tenants’ logistic fleets.

Intospace® prefers to develop brownfield sites; old business parks in need of renewal. Intospace® sees redevelopment, multiple space use and function blending as key answers to the land scarcity in the Netherlands.

Logistics is an essential function and our economy cannot exist without it. But that does not alter the fact that we need to treat our precious landscape as carefully as possible. This can be done, for example, by revitalising outdated business parks, making multiple use of the available space and combining various user functions such as living, working, learning and energy wherever possible.

Intospace® develops for future generations and leads the way in sustainable and future-proof development through its programme “the logistic landscape of the future”. In this programme, Intospace® works together with market players and knowledge institutions on innovation projects in the fields of labour, energy and spatial planning. Intospace® has now realised the first off-grid distribution centre in the Netherlands and is working with Essent, among others, on smart energy hubs and is realising Europe’s largest charging platform in Badhoevedorp.