Goodman delivers Spain's first multi-storey logistics property

The new facility developed by Goodman and leased to DSV Group in Molins de Rei (Barcelona) is an example of integration of urban planning, architecture and landscaping. The project prioritises the environment with sustainability features and by recovering over 100,000 sqm of green space in the surrounding Collserola Natural Park.

The delivery and opening ceremony of the Molins de Rei Logistics Centre took place today, presided over by Mr. Xavi Paz, Mayor of Molins de Rei, accompanied by Mr. Roger Torrent i Ramió, Minister for Business and Employment in the Catalan regional government, Mr. Raül Blanco, Secretary General for Industry and SMBs, Mr. Xavier Juncosa, General Manager of DSV Solutions Spain, and Ignacio García Cuenca, Country Manager of Goodman Spain.

The new facility allows DSV Group to optimise and streamline its operations by integrating its two business areas into a single space, comprising the largest cross-dock facility in Catalonia with 14,000 sqm allocated to DSV Road – delivered in the first quarter of 2021, and a 32,000 sqm multi-storey building that is to be used by DSV Solutions.

Molins de Rei Mayor Mr. Xavi Paz said, "Goodman's development has allowed us to recover a unique natural environment for the municipality, improving access and connections with the park, and contributing to the protection of our environmental heritage. Thanks to this public-private partnership, our neighbours can now enjoy a healthier environment while attracting investment to the area."

In addition, transport connections between the municipality and the Collserola Park have been significantly improved, with the creation of a pathway in the direction of the Can Rabella farmhouse which pedestrians, cyclists and livestock use to access this natural space. Also, the stream and the natural surroundings that lead into the park have been restored. Goodman has regenerated 10 hectares of natural space including, reconditioning and cleaning up the natural surrounds, establishing a tree plantation, collaboration in the sowing of barley, hydroseeding of slopes with alfalfa and tree, creation of ponds for the preservation of local fauna and regeneration of the riverbed. All these actions contribute to protect the native flora and conserving the area’s protected species.

Raül Blanco, Secretary General for Industry and SMBs, said, “the project being inaugurated today in Molins de Rei, that was promoted by Goodman with the support of the City Council, confirms the metropolitan area of Barcelona’s potential in the field of industry and logistics and is good news for the locality and its industrial fabric in the automotive, technological and agri-food space.”

Multi-storey, a development model that respects the land and the environment

One of the unique features of the new facility is that it takes advantage of the site’s sloping topography. Goodman's international experience in multi-storey developments - with 34 such facilities developed or under development around the world - was decisive in devising an innovative and versatile high-rise solution that in this project, minimises the land consumption by 31%.

As Ignacio García Cuenca, Country Manager of Goodman Spain points out, "in the logistics field, growing vertically can be an appropriate solution to respond to the need for logistics space while we face a shortage of land close to urban centres". In this sense, García Cuenca says that "the multi-storey model has great potential in our country, and proof of this is that we are already developing the second project of this kind in Castellbisbal which is also respectful to the surrounding environment".

The new Molins de Rei Logistics Centre is a brownfield development, providing a new lease of life to the area. Thanks to the circular demolition approach, more than 11,600 cubic metres of waste management materials have been processed from the previous buildings, including 8,000 cubic metres of materials extracted that have been recycled. As García Cuenca highlights, "avoiding building on previously undeveloped land is part of our sustainability strategy. Currently 80% of our facilities under development in Continental Europe are brownfields and the goal is to reach 100%".

The facility is equipped with a full range of sustainable features to reach a BREEAM Excellent Certification. These include the Goodman energy tracker that will allow DSV to monitor its energy consumption and to adapt its operations to reduce it, as well as solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations to support green mobility.

Greater efficiency for urban distribution

The strategic location of Molins de Rei Logistics Centre, just 15km from the centre of Barcelona with easy access to the nearly 5.5 million consumers in the region, will allow DSV to offer its customers a speedier urban distribution service and reduce transport related emissions.

According to Xavier Juncosa, General Manager of DSV Solutions Spain, "I am hugely excited to be opening these new facilities that will allow us to improve our operations and customer service while offering our employees a healthy work space in the privileged surroundings of the Collserola Natural Park".