Bochum, Philippstr. 3.

The former Vonovia headquarters at Philippstr. 3 in Bochum changed hands twice in a very short period. The new owner, FAKT AG, appointed Brockhoff & Partner to market the property, which is close to the Mark 51°7 development site. The outlook is promising: Brockhoff & Partner has already signed a new anchor tenant.

In June 2019, Vonovia SE moved for reasons of space into its new building on Universitätsstraße, within sight of its former headquarters at Philippstr. 3. The two-building office complex, with approximately 19,000 m² of total usable space, was suddenly vacant. The new owner, FAKT AG, had no cause for concern.

Working with brokerage Brockhoff & Partner, FAKT AG developed a comprehensive multi-tenant concept to reposition the property. The first results came less than 3 months after Vonovia moved out. Following the recent announcement that approximately 3,620 m² had been leased to the North Rhine-Westphalia regional finance office, car rental company ASS Athletic Sport Sponsoring yesterday signed for approximately 2,968 m² in the newer building. Brokered by Brockhoff OFFICE, ASS will occupy the entire ground floor and 1st upper floor. The premises are being modernized to a high standard in line with the tenant’s wishes, in consultation with the owner.

“The existing space is highly attractive to the market, both because the owner is willing to invest and because of its immediate proximity to the Mark 51°7 development,” explains Cedric Vennemann, property advisor at Brockhoff OFFICE.

The marketing concept clearly focuses on “modern workplaces” while giving every new tenant sufficient freedom to meet individual needs. “The office of the future is no longer centred on an individual desk. It must provide opportunities for communication and interaction. Open-plan areas, coworking space and conference rooms are part of the office formula of the future and are included in the marketing concept. I am confident that the property will soon have a forward-looking tenant mix,” says Eckhard Brockhoff, managing partner of Brockhoff & Partner.

The close proximity to the former Opel site, now the Mark 51°7 development area, is also attracting modern companies to Philippstraße. The site is intended primarily for companies in the tertiary sector. Bochum is also among Germany’s TOP 10 university cities. “The growing number of university graduates alone is steadily increasing demand for modern office space, and new construction alone will not meet it. Investment in existing properties must be seen as an essential part of promoting a location. FAKT AG is showing how it can be done in Bochum. I would like to see more projects like this in the Ruhr region,” says Brockhoff.