LEIPZIG, GERMANY-The German unit of Amazon.com has inked a long-term lease for a 755,000-sf distribution facility here that will be built to suit the company by Eurinpro, the Brussels-based warehouse developer. A Eurinpro executive tells GlobeSt.com the building will be completed in two phases, with the first phase being complete in August and the second phase complete in December.

Leipzig's central location has already attracted prominent multi-nationals like BMW, Porsche and DH. Eurinpro's country manager for Germany Christian Bischoff says the development site, which includes an on-site tram stop, is 1.2 miles from the Leipzig city center and the same distance to the "A14" highway that leads into the Leipzig center.

Amazon already has one other Germany distribution center is in Bad Hersfeld, which is located in the country's west-central region. The general manager of the facility Paul Niewerth says Amazon has expanded its selection in the country to include larger items such as electronics, kitchen appliances and home furnishings. "We need additional capacity to accommodate these bulkier items," he says.

The specific length of the lease and the lease rate were not released by the parties involved. According to other sources, the going lease rate for new space in the region equates to around $0.55 per sf per month.