The completion of the industrial park in Choroszcz, Białystok district, strengthens Accolade as an investor in modern warehouse infrastructure in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. The Czech investor made its debut in the region in 2018 with an investment in an industrial park in Białystok. Currently, Accolade owns facilities totaling approximately 80,000 sq m in the Białystok region. Both Park Białystok I and the nearby Park Białystok II in Choroszcz remain fully leased. Furthermore, the company is also meeting its ESG goals here. All the parks in Accolade’s portfolio are BREEAM certified and aligned with the specifics of each region. The park in Białystok has gained recognition through its pioneering mural, introducing art to industrial parks in Poland.
Białystok, the largest city in northeast Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, is one of the newest flags on Poland’s map of warehouses. “We were the first to invest in modern warehouse infrastructure in this region. Both of our parks remain fully leased, and we are extending the agreements with our tenants who are increasingly eager to expand their occupied space.” said Jarek Wnuk, Managing Director of Accolade in Poland. “There are several reasons for the further development in Podlaskie, but key factors include a qualified workforce and available investment areas.” added Wnuk.
Accolade’s investment in the region’s industrial parks has facilitated the creation of over 1 000 new jobs. Warehouse employees enjoy a straightforward commute as Park Białystok I is located within the city limits, and Park Białystok II (Choroszcz) is just 10 kilometres away. This location also allows the park’s tenants to provide more effective customer service. Companies such as Pilkington, Stokrotka, Rohlig Suus, Glosel, ILS, and Agata Meble can easily deliver services to retail customers in Białystok and the surrounding area. The warehouse space is also leased by companies from the logistics, manufacturing, and e-commerce industries, including both international brands and fast-growing local businesses.
Białystok occupies a special place in the Accolade portfolio. Here in 2021 the first mural project was completed, thus launching the Accolade Industrial Art programme, which introduces art into industrial spaces. The project was selected through a competition, the winning concept being chosen by the park’s tenants and painted by students from the Białystok University of Technology in collaboration with the project’s author. The mural illustrates Accolade’s values, which include caring for people, animals, and the environment, plus the creation of a friendly workplace.
The new industrial park in Choroszcz consists of two buildings and has a total area of over 36,700 sq m. The parks in Białystok and Choroszcz, like the rest of the warehouses in the company’s portfolio, hold BREEAM certification. Both were developed with both the environment and employees in mind. Accolade has equipped the parks with diverse elements, such as electronic waste containers, external defibrillators, insect shelters, rain gardens, as well as benches and tables made from composite materials derived from recycled clothing.
“The warehouse space market in the Podlaskie Voivodeship is one of the emerging markets most worthy of our attention. Despite the fact that the first big-box investment in the region was made as recently as 2018, this market is currently developing very consistently. At the end of Q2 2023, the total amount of class A rental space built reached 97,000 sq m, which represents a year-on-year increase of 41%. At present, the vacancy rate in the Podlaskie Voivodeship stands at 3%, and in Białystok itself and its immediate surroundings, it hovers around 0%. The headline rental rates range from 3.99 EUR to 4.40 EUR/sq m. The forecasts for Białystok seem favourable, mainly due to the continuously modernised road infrastructure (the S8 express road between Białystok and Warsaw, as well as the ongoing construction of the Via Carpatia). The decision to invest in Białystok is also supported by the still untapped labour market and the proximity to the Baltic region, for which the city can serve as a good location for a logistics centre.” said Tadeusz Drozd, Negotiator, Industrial Agency, Cushman & Wakefield.
Podlaskie, known as the ‘Gateway to the EU in the East’ is a region with enormous potential. The city of Białystok is strategically positioned on the planned Rail Baltica railway route, which is part of the Trans-European Transport Network, connecting Warsaw, Kaunas, Riga, Tallinn, and Helsinki. By 2023, after the modernisation of the route is complete, the travel time by train between Białystok and Warsaw will be reduced to just 74 minutes. Additionally, the Via Carpatia Road route, partially overlapping with the S19 and S8 expressways, will become a significant means of connecting southern European countries with Scandinavia in the future. Białystok is also home to 15 higher education institutions, with over 30,000 students, ensuring access to a highly educated workforce.
