Revitalization of the city center: New courtyards are award-winning and fully leased
The Neue Höfe Herne is fully let: around three years after Landmarken AG took over the long-vacant building in the city center, the extensive renovation work has been completed and the last available space in the former department store has been allocated.
The last available office space will be occupied by Amevida SE. On the ground floor, alongside the already opened pub, retailers TEDi and NKD as well as the restaurant "Nährstoffreich" will enliven the central Robert-Brauner-Platz. The successful conversion of the department store into a vibrant mixed-use property has also been recognized within the industry. After winning the silver polis Award for urban development, the ambitious project also won the silver FIABCI Prix d'Excellence.
"We have invested a lot of expertise and passion because we are fully convinced of the project and the location," says Thomas Binsfeld, member of the management board. "That is now paying off. The Neue Höfe are already revitalizing downtown Herne and will do so even more in the future. Just as our concept envisaged." Dr. Frank Dudda agrees: "The creation of the Neue Höfe in the former Karstadt building is an important project with a high profile that is also being noticed in the region," says the mayor of Herne. "The new jobs created here and the renovation of the building are important contributions to the revitalization of downtown Herne."
Amevida is one of the leading providers of customer care services and dialogue marketing in Germany and the second largest office tenant in the Neue Höfe. The owner-managed company is moving from Gelsenkirchen to Herne and will occupy around 3,700 square meters of office space on the first and second floors, some of which has already been handed over.
Around 500 employees from seven companies will work in the Neue Höfe in future, which will have an impact on the entire city center. The Fläkt Group was the first major tenant to start operations on the upper floors, followed by the Wirtshaus Herne restaurant and Gold's Gym fitness studio in the basement. "The employees of the office tenants will not only spend their lunch breaks in the building, for example eating or exercising, but will also be able to do their shopping in the city center or meet there for a drink after work," says Christian Lothmann, responsible for leasing and project development at Landmarken, who is convinced of the revitalizing effect.
The ground floor will contribute to this in particular, where the team at the "Nährstoffreich" restaurant will offer healthy food in its 200-square-meter dining area, including takeaway and delivery services – a fitting addition to the already popular pub. The textile discounter NKD opened its store a few days ago. Right next door, the non-food retailer TEDi will move into approximately 1,000 square meters in the first quarter of 2022.
Landmarken's major goal of bringing new foot traffic to the city center has thus been achieved. Of the building's total rental space of around 14,000 square meters, only around 260 square meters are still available on the ground floor. The fact that this concept is worthy of an award was already evident in the fall. At the polis Convention, the trade fair for urban and project development in Düsseldorf, the Neue Höfe was awarded the silver polis Award in the category of reactivated centers – for its "successful revitalization as a symbol of change and the future of Herne." In November, it received the FIABCI Prix d'Excellence, also in silver, as one of the best commercial project developments in Germany.
