The traders at the Berlin wholesale market have gotten a step closer to the redevelopment of the food and produce wholesale market in Berlin. Last week, the Berlin Association for Food and Fresh Produce, IG LFC, (Interessen-gemeinschaft Lebensmittel- und Frischecluster Berlin) met with members of the Economic Committee of the Berlin City Council on the site of the wholesale market. The topic of the meeting was the wholesale market of the future. Executive Assistant Aiko Karaschewitz summarized it as “a lively, modern market site with an optimal infrastructure”.
Local politicians, of all parties, showed great interest during the tour of the market site. If the plans of the IG LFC Association succeed, the wholesale market of the future will be developed here. They are now coordinating the existing ideas and initiatives and planning future actions.
“We find it important that a renovation or redevelopment of the wholesale market site takes place,” continues Aiko Karaschewitz. For example, the market halls were modernized in 2007, but the development of an increasingly energy efficiency building is still pending. ”Our goal is to fundamentally modernize the facility, and, as a service provider, centralize services such as the charging stations and the waste disposal. This is financially sound for our members.”
But Karaschewitz emphasizes that, except for the organizational part, the Fruchthof Berlin is already future-oriented and diverse. “At the moment, 100% of the site is leased. Our traders mainly specialize in specific product groups or certain regions, such as Italy, Greece and Turkey. They mainly supply catering companies, which is a significant market in Berlin. We reflect this diversity.”
The next step
If all parties involved pull together an agreement seems possible even before the summer break of 2018. The next step is December 11, 2017, when Peter Stäblein, Managing Director of Berlin wholesale market, will meet with Max Köpke and Dieter Krauß, spokespersons of IG LFC Association, to coordinate the future procedures. Furthermore, the association has requested the support of the Berlin wholesale market, as part of due diligence, until December 14, 2017.
On August 1, 2017 more than hundred companies, situated on the wholesale’s site in the Moabiter Beusselstraße, united in the Berlin IG LFC Association. They want to take the future of the market into their own hands and create a leasehold construction, to develop the wholesale market of the future.
