Progress in a challenging environment: Helaba reaches construction milestone with Central Business Tower

• Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen marks the laying of the Central Business Tower's foundation stone
• More than 300 guests from the business community and politics accepted Helaba's invitation
• Construction of landmark skyscraper project on track for timely completion
• Central Business Tower set to combine the workplaces of tomorrow with open public spaces

Frankfurt am Main – Alongside more than 300 invited guests, Helaba celebrated the laying of the foundation stone for its landmark skyscraper project the Central Business Tower on Wednesday evening. This represents a key milestone in a challenging business environment for the office tower located within Frankfurt's financial district, which will eventually stand 205 metres tall and incorporates an original Gründerzeit building in its base. The ceremony was attended by prominent figures from business and politics, including the Lord Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, Mike Josef.

The event featuring a varied programme with special acts and live music was held directly at the construction site of the Central Business Tower. In addition to speeches by Christian Schmid, a member of Helaba's Executive Board, Stephan Keinath, a member of the Executive Board of the general contractor Ed. Züblin AG and Frankfurt's Lord Mayor Mike Josef, the highlight of the evening, the symbolic laying of the foundation stone, was accompanied by an acrobatic performance as well as the release of 1,500 balloons and a giant banner into the night sky over Frankfurt.

Helaba is building an architecturally pioneering skyscraper in collaboration with the general contractor Ed. Züblin AG. Around 72,500 sqm of rental space that will include state-of-the-art offices and publicly accessible areas such an exclusive restaurant, a canteen for employees, a café and exhibition space for the Welt­kulturen Museum are being constructed on a gross floor area of approximately 115,000 sqm. A base building with 5 floors, a listed façade and a historic rotunda is located at the foot of the 52-storey skyscraper.

"We are leading the way towards urban diversity in Frankfurt with the Central Business Tower", says Christian Schmid, a member of Helaba's Executive Board and responsible for the bank's real estate activities. "In celebrating the laying of the foundation stone, as the owners we are showing that it is possible to realise such a high-profile project with the right partners at your side - even in a challenging business environment. The Central Business Tower is a blend of tradition and modernity combined with contemporary urban living. As the cornerstone of Neue Mainzer Strasse, it is set to make a defining contribution to Frankfurt's skyline."

Stephan Keinath, a member of the Executive Board of Ed. Züblin AG, adds: "We are proud to be a part of this ground-breaking project. With the deepest excavation pit in Frankfurt and the use of CPM-Basecrete concrete, which reduces carbon emissions by as much as 57 percent, the Central Business Tower represents an exceptional technical achievement. In this way, we are setting new standards for energy efficiency and sustainable construction."

The Lord Mayor of Frankfurt, Mike Josef, adds: "The Central Business Tower will be a new landmark for Frankfurt, one that not only enhances the city's skyline but also serves as a lively hub for dialogue and interaction in the new location of the Weltkulturen Museum. This project is emblematic of our city's ongoing evolution, particularly in the financial district. The Weltkulturen Museum is an ideal comple­ment to the important variety of uses that the build-ing will provide and will breathe significantly more life into the district as it becomes Frankfurt's new art and culture quarter".