First Class A Warehouse Planned for Kostanay
Construction is set to begin on Kostanay’s first Class A warehouse complex. The speculative development will provide approximately 26,000 square metres of leasable space in the city’s industrial zone.
Farvater is developing the project on a 5.85-hectare site within the city limits, while IBC Global is acting as the exclusive consultant. The complex is aimed at retailers, third-party logistics providers and e-commerce companies seeking modern distribution capacity in northern Kazakhstan.
The project will require around $25 million in investment and is expected to create approximately 300 skilled jobs. It follows a wider trend of investment in Kazakhstan’s warehouse market. K2Cargo News recently reported that EDB and Griffin Partners plan to build a $125 million Class A+ logistics park in Almaty, showing that developers are expanding modern logistics infrastructure beyond traditional industrial facilities.
New Facility Will Transform the Local Warehouse Market
Kostanay currently has no Class A warehouses. According to IBC Global analysts, the city has several facilities that meet Class B requirements to varying degrees, but the supply of institutional-quality logistics space remains limited.
Once completed, the new complex is expected to increase Kostanay’s stock of quality warehouse space by approximately 3.7 times.
This is particularly important for companies that require stable temperature conditions, efficient loading operations, high floor capacity and predictable security standards. Modern facilities can also help tenants reduce handling times, improve inventory management and organize regional distribution from a single location.
Kazakhstan’s shortage of quality warehouse space is not limited to Kostanay. The market remains concentrated around the country’s largest cities, with the Almaty region accounting for a significant share of modern logistics facilities. The planned development in Kostanay indicates that demand is gradually spreading to regional centres and cross-border trade hubs.
Warehouse Will Meet Class A Standards
The complex will be designed according to the main technical requirements for Class A warehouses.
The planned clear working height is 12 metres, while the reinforced concrete floor with topping will support loads of up to six tonnes per square metre. The building will have 32 automated loading docks with dock levellers, equivalent to approximately one dock for every 586 square metres of warehouse space.
The project also includes a sprinkler fire-suppression system, energy-efficient LED lighting and round-the-clock security.
The minimum rental unit will start from 1,474 square metres, allowing the developer to accommodate both medium-sized operators and large distribution companies. Farvater also plans to offer build-to-suit solutions for tenants requiring customized layouts, technical systems or additional processing areas.
Private Rail Infrastructure Strengthens the Project
One of the complex’s main advantages will be its own railway infrastructure.
A 317-metre rail track will pass through the site and accommodate approximately 22 freight wagons. This will allow tenants to combine rail and road transport, reduce dependence on long-haul trucking and organize the direct delivery of bulk, industrial or containerized cargo to the warehouse.
The rail connection could be particularly valuable for companies serving northern Kazakhstan and neighbouring Russian regions. Kostanay Region borders the Orenburg, Chelyabinsk and Kurgan regions, giving the city direct access to important cross-border trade corridors.
The warehouse site is located approximately 4.5 kilometres from Kostanay’s city administration and three kilometres from the M-36 highway. The road provides connections toward Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk in Russia, as well as Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan.
The distance from Kostanay to Chelyabinsk is around 315 kilometres, while the Russian border near Troitsk is approximately 163 kilometres away.
Project Will Support Retail, 3PL and E-Commerce Growth
The new facility is being developed as a speculative warehouse, meaning construction is beginning without the entire space being pre-leased to a single occupier.
This model reflects expectations of growing demand from retail chains, logistics operators and e-commerce platforms. These companies increasingly require modern regional distribution centres located closer to consumers and major transport routes.
For 3PL providers, the availability of flexible rental blocks and direct rail access may create opportunities to consolidate cargo from several clients at one location. Retailers can use the complex to replenish stores across northern Kazakhstan, while online marketplaces may establish regional fulfilment and last-mile distribution operations.
The project also demonstrates how Kazakhstan’s logistics market is expanding beyond Almaty and Astana. As K2Cargo News noted in its analysis of Kazakhstan’s emergence as one of Eurasia’s key logistics hubs, the country is investing in ports, railways, roads and multimodal centres to strengthen its role between China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe.
Tobyl Dry Port Will Complement the Warehouse Complex
The new warehouse will be developed alongside another major logistics investment in Kostanay Region.
Construction of the Tobyl transport and logistics complex began in July 2025. The project is designed as a multimodal dry port with annual capacity exceeding 400,000 TEU, while planned investment amounts to 64 billion tenge.
The combination of a Class A warehouse and a large dry port could create a broader logistics cluster capable of handling containerized, rail and road cargo. The warehouse would provide storage and distribution capacity, while Tobyl could support consolidation, transshipment and international rail operations.
Together, the projects may strengthen Kostanay’s role as a regional gateway between Kazakhstan and Russia and create additional capacity for cargo moving across the wider Eurasian market.
The development also fits Kazakhstan’s strategy of building logistics infrastructure both inside the country and abroad. K2Cargo News recently reported that Kazakhstan will build a transport and logistics terminal at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port, giving the landlocked country an additional connection to the Persian Gulf and the International North–South Transport Corridor.
Regional Logistics Market Enters a New Stage
The first Class A warehouse in Kostanay represents more than an individual property development. It signals the emergence of a more professional regional logistics market supported by institutional developers, modern technical standards and multimodal transport infrastructure.
For tenants, the project will provide access to warehouse space that is currently unavailable in the city. For Kostanay, it will bring new investment, qualified employment and a stronger position in cross-border distribution.
Its success will depend on leasing demand, construction timelines and the development of cargo flows through the Tobyl dry port. However, the combination of quality warehouse space, railway access and proximity to Russia gives the complex a strong strategic position in northern Kazakhstan.
Read also: EDB and Griffin Partners to Build $125 Million Logistics Park in Almaty
