Lahr in the Black Forest, Germany, February 23, 2026. The special-purpose association Industrie- und Gewerbepark Raum Lahr (IGP) is currently developing an area of around 80 hectares with large plots designed for industrial and commercial use. This site in Germany‘s Upper Rhine Valley, formerly home to the Canadian airbase of Lahr, is well linked to the A5 freeway. Companies are expected to be able to move into this easy access location from the beginning of 2028. To ensure that everything proceeds smoothly, Drees & Sommer is providing support to the IGP special-purpose association on the project. The consulting company specializes in consulting around construction, real estate and infrastructure.
From Military Base to Commercial Location
For around 30 years, Lahr airbase was a military location. After Canadian troops withdrew in 1994, the city of Lahr and the surrounding municipalities formed an intermunicipal special-purpose association to develop the site – including an actively operating airport – for civic and commercial purposes. More than 140 industrial and commercial businesses have since established themselves on the 600-hectare site – known as startkLahr Airport & Business Park Raum Lahr. Daniel Halter, Managing Director at the operating company Bewirtschaftungsgesellschaft startkLahr/IGZ GmbH and Association Director of the special-purpose association explained: “We have developed much of this area in recent years, and many businesses have already moved. To be able to cater for future demand from domestic and international enterprises, the Association has to continue the sustainable development of the area. Development of the area is a generational task.” For this reason, the IGP special-purpose association is developing further space in the northern part of the site, between the A5 freeway and the start and landing runways.”
Contiguous Areas Allow for Large Company Facilities
Before the land development plan was drawn up, the land owners and planners discussed how the site should be structured and divided up. The planning framework arising from this shows how it will be integrated into the surrounding area with regard to traffic planning and urban development criteria. The main task is to develop the areas in an economically and environmentally sustainable way, always pursuing a clear strategy: “On the special-purpose association’s land, we are primarily creating spaces for larger businesses that would otherwise be difficult to integrate into the region“, says Daniel Halter. The sizes of the plots will range from two to three hectares. The aim is to attract manufacturing companies from different sectors.
Development Area at a Glance
To the north, the development area is bordered by the state highway 118, to the east, by the airfield of Lahr Airport, and to the south by Zalando’s logistics center. To the west, it connects to the freeway A5 via the Lahr/Black Forest freeway access road. There are still some ex-military buildings on the site, and the area currently has paved roadways constructed for the former military airbase. Area development expert Lukas Hach, who has been heading the project at Drees & Sommer for the past four years, commented: “The IGP special-purpose association has already begun to demolish these structures. Demolition of the wartime aircraft bunkers has started in 2024 already.” The large quantity of material left over from the demolition, mainly consisting of concrete, is to be reused in the development of the site.
Project as a Key Driver
In the coming years, the IGP special-purpose association will invest around 29 million euros in the development of the area. Daniel Halter is convinced that the investment will pay off: “The creation of new space for commerce and industry will attract companies. This will benefit the job market in our region.“ The newly developed area strengthens the local economy, increases tax revenue in the long term, and thus enables additional investment in infrastructure, education and mobility.
