Rothenstein and Jena create space for companies

Municipal and city leaders present details of the inter-municipal industrial estate

"Win-win" and a joint achievement through good cooperation - this is how all those involved summed up the decision to create the new joint industrial estate for Jena and Rothenstein between the new and former B88 federal highway. The area is the first joint industrial estate between the city and a surrounding municipality and should ideally serve as a "blueprint" for further cooperation. On Thursday, the Mayor of Jena Dr. Thomas Nitzsche, the Mayor of Rothenstein Matthias Kühne and other partners presented details and an initial timetable for the approximately 6.5 hectare site.

Plenty of space for companies, where fast-growing local companies or investors from outside the region can settle in the future. "Rothenstein alone would not have had either the demand or the funds for an additional business park of this size," says Rothenstein Mayor Matthias Kühne. "Together with the town, we have created a win-win situation for both local authorities in an equal process." According to Jena's Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche, the new commercial area has a pilot character: "We have proven that communication on an equal footing between the city and the surrounding area is very possible and can lead to an excellent result. A fair exchange and balance brings great advantages for both sides," says Nitzsche.

This fair compensation provides for the municipality of Rothenstein to receive the entire property tax from the new area and 35 percent of the expected trade tax. The remaining 65 percent of the business tax will go to the city of Jena, which will, however, also bear all development costs.

Needs-based development to start this year

The new owner of the site is specifically the municipal company JenA4 GmbH, which has already developed the commercial area of the same name in Lobeda and whose Managing Director Martin Pfeiffer intends to take a similar approach to the development in Rothenstein: "We are developing the area according to demand, depending on company inquiries and desired conditions," says Pfeiffer. According to Pfeiffer, the planning process for the site is set to begin this year and will take around one to two years. The construction of roads and media supply could then begin in 2021 or 2022. "We assume that a company will break ground here in 2022 or 2023," says the JenA4 boss.

The site will be marketed and managed by the Jena Economic Development Agency. Markus Henkenmeier, Head of Business Services at JenaWirtschaft, praises the good conditions on site: "The site is directly adjacent to the Maua business park and therefore offers all the advantages of Jena's southern area: direct highway access, proximity to service providers and suppliers from the Jena business parks Jena21 and JenA4 and, of course, to the two universities." It is also strategically important to keep potential areas available and thus have a reserve for the city "up your sleeve". According to Henkenmeier, the demand for space from Jena's fast-growing companies remains consistently high.