Munich wholesalers reject plans for a new Großmarkthalle

On 12 December, the Fruchthandelsverband invited all companies operating in the Munich wholesale market to a general meeting. They unanimously rejected investor Büschl’s plans for a new hall on Schäftlarnstraße. “We consider it very important that not only the fruit trading companies organized in our association, but also all companies active in the wholesale market be asked for their opinion. That is why we presented the plans of the Büschl Group to all companies at a general meeting,” said Günther. Warschola, President of Verbandes des Bayerischen Frucht-Import und-Großhandels, later said: “The unanimity and unanimity in rejecting the current plans did not really surprise us, because the reasons for the impossibility of the current plans are clear.” for a meeting on 12 December 2023.

Currently, businesses on the wholesale market site can use approximately 72,000 square meters of sales and warehousing space, plus another 5,000 square meters of open space, a waste treatment plant and a fuel station – a total of just under 80,000 square metres.

The newly planned hall will have an area of ​​about 50,000 square meters, however, about 13% of it will be deducted for transportation routes, waste disposal, empty logistics space and freight stations. This leaves about 40,000 square meters of sales and warehousing space. That’s roughly half the space currently available. In addition, truck parking spaces are completely absent from the planning, because drivers must take into account rest periods. A wholesale market hall cannot operate without enough space to park trucks and without adequate access to catering suppliers.

Traders at Großmarkthalle in Munich

Reducing usable space
“These plans will reduce our wholesale market area from 26 hectares to around 8.5 hectares. This represents a third of the current area. This is an unacceptable reduction from the fourth largest wholesale market in Europe. We need a well-functioning wholesale market – after all.” We provide around 20 million people in Bavaria and Austria with fresh, high-quality food. We guarantee huge variety, highest quality and freshness. The city council’s original planning mission was to accommodate all the merchants and the wholesale flower market in “However, this is not possible on this very small site. To accomplish the task, the site of the wholesale market hall would have to be completely redesigned or the existing plans would have to be completely revised,” says Warschula. This, combined with the fact that it is unclear how the construction phase should be managed without stopping the large market hall, are the main reasons for the plans being rejected.

There is also not enough logistical space available for the transport company operating in the market, and there is no clarity on which access route to the wholesale market hall can be used during the construction phase. The central entrance currently in use will not be available when the first construction phase of the development begins to the north. Customers of the large market hall may put up with traffic chaos and lack of parking spaces once or twice. Then they look for other shopping options.

“Not only our members, but also many other well-known companies active in the wholesale market, note with concern that the current plans represent a very heavy construction project. The enormous amount of land that will have to be moved to accommodate the height differences between the settlement of the eastern and western sites will entail huge costs and prolong construction phase, which is by no means out of the question if the wholesale market hall is still in operation, but the main reasons for rejecting the current plans remain space constraints with a simultaneous increase in costs and many unanswered logistical issues.”

“Despite the dissatisfaction with the planning and lack of prospects for our members, we also see positive aspects: unity and consensus within the organization, but also the unanimous opinion of companies outside the trade association, encourages us to take the right path. Of course, we hope that at the end of the current process, member companies will We have a perspective on how to maintain nearly 3,000 jobs in Munich while at the same time ensuring the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables to the population of Munich, but also to a wider area up to Austria, can be guaranteed in the future. However, to achieve this, it is necessary to provide Significantly more space and carefully planned how to manage the construction phase without jeopardizing the operation of the wholesale market hall,” concludes Warschaula.

for more information:
www.fruchtverband.de