Successful on a healthy basis
Despite the current challenges, HBB can once again look back on a busy business year. The opening of Westertor Lübbecke is the crowning achievement for this year.
In the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, HBB has transformed the former Deerberg department store, which had been vacant for years, into a modern shopping district on two levels that fits ideally into the urban development of downtown Lübbecke. The branch mix with the strong anchor tenants Marktkauf, SB Lüning and Rossmann will ensure a significant revitalization of the city center. The property, which was realized together with the renowned Düsseldorf architectural firm RKW+, consists of a gabled structure facing the pedestrian zone and other structures that harmonize perfectly with the neighborhood. The total area is around 7000 square meters.
NEW CENTER IN MANAGEMENT
In the course of the year, HBB took over the management of further new centers: the NordWestZentrum in Frankfurt and the ARSENAL Wittenberg, which has just celebrated its tenth anniversary. The revitalization of the Rathaus Galerie in Essen, with the opening of the new food mall, is also going very well. A milestone this year was the acquisition of Facility Systems. This also results in new tasks and orders for HBB Centermanagement GmbH & Co. KG in the areas of leasing and revitalization. Furthermore, the Hamburg-based company was awarded the “Employer of the Future” seal of approval. In the area of center management and leasing management, regional manager levels were introduced and staffed with two managers who have already been working successfully at HBB for a long time. New areas were also established at headquarters. Overall, the company experienced strong growth with new structures.
CURRENT SITUATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ENERGY-SAVING MEASURES
Of course, HBB has not been spared from the current situation. “Above all, the increased costs in the construction sector are currently having an impact on projects in planning and construction, as well as on conversions and revitalizations. Here, we have to look for individual solution options in each case as a team,” says Managing Director André Stromeyer. “We are having to record rising costs in the current deals with utilities and service providers. Therefore, we are directing our focus even more on the implementation of energy-saving measures and cost-cutting measures in order to keep the increase in ancillary costs as low as possible.”
VIKTORIA KARREE ABOUT TO OPEN
There is great anticipation for the opening of the Viktoria Karree in Bochum next year…. The project is divided into three buildings, which will be realized directly at Husemannplatz on the site of the former district and county court with a high quality of living. The entire quarter will house offices, a hotel, a fitness center, retail space and restaurants on a total of almost 37,000 square meters. An underground parking garage with around 500 parking spaces for cars and 400 for bicycles will be built underneath the entire property and will be linked to the parking garage network of the city of Bochum. Where does the company see itself in a year’s time? “HBB is and will continue to be in a good position, as we have a healthy base and a great team and will continue to pursue our path consistently. We plan to make purchases of properties as HBB and in co-investment in the coming year and will carry out further orders for revitalizations,” says Andre Stromeyer. For the new year, HBB also hopes to be able to take further centers into management. Talks on this are already underway. The recruitment of new employees is also planned. Firm goals are the expansion of third-party business and further digitization, as well as the ongoing implementation of ESG measures. “Of course, we hope that costs will level off again – for building materials as well as ancillary and energy costs, inflation will weaken and the overall economic situation will stabilize.”
