European logistics and industrial real estate developer Panattoni is developing its City Dock by Panattoni project for the first time in France, in the town of Moissy-Cramayel (77). This concept of business parks combining an urban environment with a commitment to the environment was first introduced in Germany, where a dozen such projects have been completed in recent years. Work on the first City Dock in France began in the summer of 2023, on a site acquired in October 2022 in Moissy-Cramayel. The 12,000 m² park, delivered at the end of 2024, comprises four buildings of 3,000 m² each, divisible up to three tenants from 700 m². In addition, the site features 24 dockside doors, 12 mezzanine office blocks (RE2020 compliant) and 182 light vehicle parking spaces.
" Our aim is to provide a differentiated offering in the small surface real estate segment. The business, production and urban distribution premises we will be offering for rent in our first City Dock will be located in Moissy-Cramayel, within the Château d'Eau business park. The buildings will offer high-quality services and equipment, and will be developed with a strong environmental approach. This park concept has been designed to meet the operational requirements of urban users, while taking into account the well-being of their employees", says Salvi Cals, Managing Director of Panattoni France, in a press release. Indeed, these projects are designed to accommodate companies of various sizes, from SMEs to local branches of major groups and slightly larger units. "At the time of delivery, we had marketed two cells - around 20% of the project - to two companies: Yumgo, in the agri-food sector, and Galaxie Green, in solar energy. We also have a number of discussions underway with other companies. The aim is to complete marketing by the end of 2025," explains Salvi Cals.
Indeed, the former rubble and building materials depot is giving way to an eco-sustainable approach. Part of the office roof is planted with vegetation, and the rest of the building's roof is covered with a photovoltaic power plant. The project has been awarded Breeam Excellent certification and the BiodiverCity® label.
A responsible project, open to all
The town of Moissy-Cramayel was hit by a scandal at the end of December due to the presence of industrial snow created by the high concentration of pollution linked to industry, traffic and heating appliances. It would be in the town's interest to cease industrial activities, as it had recommended to Business Immo when it inaugurated a logistics park signed by Prologis in 2022. However, this environmentally-friendly logistics 2.0 project is proof that the two are not incompatible: "What interests us about the City Docks project is that it's not about 'pure and simple' logistics. It has absolutely no resemblance to the XXL logistics business park that surrounds my municipality. So we absolutely did not want to host this type of activity, even though the terrain would not have allowed it. However, we also know that there are a huge number of requests from SMEs and SMIs to towns and cities, and we weren't able to respond sufficiently to this demand. With City Dock, we are now in a position to respond to this problem ", explains the mayor of Moissy-Cramayel.
The project was financed in partnership with international investor Griffin Capital Partners for the equity part, and bank financing was provided by Socfim. The total investment amounted to €24 million. Panattoni was assisted in this transaction by the notary firm Allez et Associés, BNP Paribas Real Estate, and the law firms Norton Rose Fulbright and Reed Smith.