The preserved area of the former sugar factory near Kojetín in the Přerov region will be revitalized into a modern robotic center for e-commerce. The industrial zone builder Panattoni, in cooperation with the Accolade Group, is preparing construction corresponding to the latest world trends in online retail and is aimed at future tenants from the Czech Republic and abroad. The first fully multi-storey logistics building in the Czech Republic with a floor area of 52,000 sqm will be built on the site of the former sludge fields. The complex has an ideal location with a direct connection to the D1 motorway outside the residential area and is separated from the city by a distillery, train station and solar power plant. The project, worth more than three billion crowns, could offer up to 2,000 jobs in peak operation at peak times and could be completed by the end of 2022.
“Today has accelerated the transition to digital retail. Modern e-commerce infrastructure can withstand the effects of a pandemic and ensure the supply of necessary goods to consumers. If we want to fulfill the government’s slogan and become a real Country for the future, we must create the preconditions for the emergence of state-of-the-art operations with an emphasis on robotics and the most modern world trends. It will be the first multi-storey logistics building in the Czech Republic with the assumption of robotics, “says Pavel Sovička, Panattoni’s General Manager for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
“The current form of the planned project is exactly according to our ideas and I am glad that despite the crisis, we are continuing its preparation. Thanks to this investment, I think we can prepare much better for the future effects of the pandemic. In addition, for a long time, as well as other smaller cities, we are faced with the issue of the composition of the population, where young people leave to study in larger cities and later, thanks to better, especially economic, conditions do not return. In the field of civic amenities, we have invested hundreds of millions in the last few years to make Kojetín more attractive for young families. I firmly believe that the construction of a park for modern business will bring tenants who will offer well-paid and qualified work to all residents and will find employment for both manual occupations and university students. So far, the negotiations from both sides have been very fair and I am glad that we have gained a strong and fair partner for the development of the city, “comments Leoš Ptáček, Mayor of Kojetín.
“The basic motivation for all our investments is the economic development and wealth of the Czech regions. They often offer huge untapped potential and, with a properly prepared infrastructure, they can reach even the biggest players in today’s business. I am convinced that thanks to this project, Kojetín and its surroundings will be a slightly better place to live. Locals will find well-paid work a short distance from home, and other business opportunities may arise as a result of this project. If these factors are added to the possibility of revitalizing a dilapidated brownfield without the need to prevent agricultural land, it is a great combination, “says Milan Kratina, CEO of Accolade, who finances the project.
Thanks to its location, the new industrial zone near Kojetín will also benefit from the nearby railway corridor. Employees will be able to commute by train both from the direction of Brno-Olomouc and from the direction of Kroměříž-Uherské Hradiště.
The project will be in line with Panattoni’s long-term Go Earthwise strategy and will create an environmentally and civically friendly environment. The area will be designed so that its operation minimizes the impact on the environment, including the so-called carbon footprint, and benefits the local community. Most of the area will be located in a recycled area. It is a unique concept that combines a civic environment and a state-of-the-art industrial zone.
