Schmalkalden (dpa/th) – The state of Thuringia is funding the development of a new industrial and commercial area in Schmalkalden with almost 24 million euros. The approximately 35-hectare area between Niederschmalkalden and Schwallungen should be available for settlements by 2024 at the latest, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on Friday. The development of the new industrial area on the B19 costs a total of around 27 million euros.

Schmalkalden urgently needs new commercial space, said Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Carsten Feller. Around the southern Thuringian city there is practically no free space left for industrial settlements. According to Feller, all industrial and commercial areas within a radius of 15 kilometers are 95 percent occupied. The new location offers enough space for at least ten to twelve larger company settlements or expansions of existing companies in the region.