View of the 'Otto Dix Passage' in Gera, which is currently being renovated.Photo: ARCADIA Investment Group | Andreas Kusow

After a construction period of only seven months, construction work on the first phase of the “Otto Dix Passage” in Gera has been completed. The real estate developer ARCADIA Investment Group has handed over the approximately 2,300 square metre partial rental space to the new anchor tenant DMS Daten Management Service GmbH (DMS). The Gera-based energy market service provider will occupy the entire first floor and parts of the second floor, including a roof terrace. Around 150 of the 380 employees are going to move into their new offices in the inner-city shopping arcade at Museumsplatz 2 before the end of May 2021.

After completion of the second construction phase, the new offices will have a green roof terrace with integrated bicycle parking, a green area enclosed with glass panes as well as generous communication, training, and creative areas. By enlarging the business premises at the future company headquarters, the number of employees, currently 380, is expected to rise to 420 in the long term.

“We are pleased to gradually fill the “Otto Dix Passage” with life again and thus also contribute to the revitalisation of Gera’s city centre. We particularly thank the city of Gera and the general contractor Prehn for the constructive and smooth cooperation,” says Alexander Folz, Managing Partner of ARCADIA.

Björn Franke, Head of Project Management at ARCADIA adds: “The handover of the rental space is the result of professional teamwork between all project participants, starting with the architects and the specialist engineers, through the construction companies to the inspection and approval authorities, and marks a milestone in the realisation of the overall project.”

Already in April 2018, an investment company of ARCADIA Investment Group had acquired the former shopping centre and announced plans for an expansion and conversion. ARCADIA has been revitalising the building since early September 2020. The general contractor for the conversion of the “Otto Dix Passage” is Prehn Bauprojektmanagement GmbH from Lubmin. After its reopening, the newly designed shopping arcade will have around 16,500 square metres of usable space, meet modern building standards designed for sustainability, and have an attractive tenant mix with various types of use.

DMS Data Management Service GmbH

The DMS Group, with 7 locations in Germany and a total of 680 employees, is one of the largest service providers in Germany specialising in the energy market. In addition to DMS Energie, which provides commercial services for the utility industry, the group consists of the training institute DMS Akademie, the consulting company PMD Experten, and DMS Automation, which designs solutions in the field of automation and AI.