Ostrava’s New Booming Business Hub
BUSINESS INTERVIEW
www.posiv.cz ǀ 15
already been completed by the previous
owner, and so our main responsibilities
were to make sure this work had been
done properly and that the plot truly had
what we were looking for. We collaborated
with an architect on the park’s design,
went through the preparation process for
the plot and gained the necessary permits.
Only about three years ago were we able
to finally start realising our plans. We
began by building up infrastructure and
constructing the first couple of halls.
Architectural competitions are not
common for logistics hub projects. Why
did you hold one for this project?
AZ: The former agglomeration is located
within the boundaries of the expanded
city centre, and is therefore tightly
woven into the surroundings. We wanted
to respect the relationship this area had
with the neighbouring urban development.
The decision to choose an architectural
studio based in Ostrava (PROJEKTSTUDIO)
was an important one. Our goal is not
the construction of a logistics hub, but
the development of a new business-
industrial district in Vítkovice.
TH: Furthermore, the location of this area
in relation to the rest of the city is more
conducive to a broader spectrum of tenants
when compared to standard logistics hubs
located at the edges of cities. I believe
the complete concept of the project,
which we created in collaboration with
the architect David Kotek, will attract
companies from many different fields.
Who can we find at P3 Ostrava Central?
TH: The tenants at P3 Ostrava Central
are truly diverse. Our first tenants were
Linde Material Handling, which is
a company that sells, rents and services
handling technologies. From the field
of classical logistics, the beer distributor
Zitek Logistics. PNS supplies newspapers,
magazines and other printed products from
the P3 logistics hub. In addition to using
our halls as a warehouse and showroom
of cooling technologies, Tefcold also has
state of the art offices at the complex.
The smaller toy distributor Canpol has their
own little hall, and right across from them is
the Bezvapostele sales warehouse, which
gives the wider public a reason to visit
the complex as well.
Is the park freely accessible?
TH: Most of our developments are freely
accessible, and the park in Ostrava is no
exception. Visiting us is as simple as taking
the correct exit on the roundabout
by Hornbach.
AZ: This was, in fact, one of the main
requirements for the project - we turned
an area where no one had walked
for years into a fully fledged part of the city,
which is openly accessible. This creates
an opportunity for further development
of new commercial B2C and B2B real
estate.
Do city buses have stops at the P3 park?
Can you access it by foot?
AZ: Cutouts for bus stops are already in
place on the park’s road network, however,
regularly scheduled buses will not stop
at the park until construction is finished.
Right now, employees take the bus or tram
to the nearby stations of Důl Jeremenko or
Český Dům. We are one of only a few parks
that are accessible by tram, if not the only
one, and this is an immense advantage as it
is something companies look for when
renting a space. Accessibility and employee
comfort are growing in importance.
Do people want to work in industrial
parks?
AZ: The accessibility I talked about
earlier is a key factor here. Further
infrastructure such as outdoor seating,
greenery, an outdoor gym, bike racks and
a smoke room is then provided by us and
the tenants to sweeten the deal. Making
the rented spaces appealing is solely
the job of the tenant. Tefcold, for example,
who moved their headquarters to our park,
has amazing state of the art offices in their
space, and they are truly on another level
when compared to your average office
building.
When you talked about Tefcold
earlier, you mentioned they also had
a showroom at the park.
What exactly does it look like?
TH: The showroom combines an exhibition
space with a store. Having enough space
is especially important for companies
that sell physically large products like
Tefcold. Renting a large enough space
in the city centre would otherwise come
with a hefty price tag, and so combining
warehouses with stores has become
popular. Our project in Horní Počernice in
Prague has multiple tenants that have done
this - the IKEA pick up warehouse, Alza
showroom, Storge flower megastore, Pet
Centrum or multiple flooring businesses.
This concept has potential even in Ostrava,
and Bezvapostele.cz is proof of this.
Is this trend reflected in the needs
of your new tenants? What do
businesses look for?
TH: Tenants most commonly look
for smaller or medium sized units,
however, requests for larger spaces are not
uncommon.
Do you have free units available?
What kind of tenants would they
be appropriate for?
TH: We currently have free units for both
smaller and larger operations. P3 Ostrava
Central has the infrastructure for light
manufacturing, assembly or reverse
logistics, as well as something like, for
example, a grocery eshop like Košík,
Rohlík, Billa or Albert, which are all
companies that make use of our other
logistics parks. The location of the park is,
once again, a great advantage for these
types of businesses, as it fits in with the “last
mile” concept of city logistics.
What can we look forward to in the next
phase of construction?
AZ: We currently have an ample supply
of free units, and so any further construction
will likely be BTS (built to suit), according
to the specific needs of the tenants.
How long would the completion of such
a project take?
AZ: The fact that we have multiple completed
projects, and have the permits for them saves
us a lot of time. The basic construction can
be done within 9 months, and adapting
the interior is then up to the tenant. For
example, if the tenant is planning to install
highly sophisticated automation, they could
end up waiting to receive the technology
longer than it takes to complete
the construction of the space itself.
Thank you for the interview.
“
Our goal is not
the construcon of a logiscs
hub, but the development
of a new business-industrial
district in Vítkovice.
”
“
We currently have free units
for both smaller and larger
operaons.
”