Reviewing the Success Factors of Adaptive Reuse Strategy in Practice; A Case Study of Fenix Food Factory

Purpose – “The revitalisation of the Deliplein has enabled Katendrecht to shed its longstanding reputation as one of the worst districts in Rotterdam. It is now one of the most sought-after neighbourhoods in the city”. The Fenix food factory is located near Deliplein in the Katendrecht neighbourhood, and plays an essential role for the success of this regeneration project. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the success of the adaptive reuse project of the Fenix food factory, as part of a case study research of several adaptive reuse projects in the Netherlands. Accordingly, this paper seeks to answer the following questions: What are the factors that lead to the success of adaptive reuse projects? How can the success factors of adaptive reuse be implemented in the Dutch redevelopment practice?Design Methodology/approach – The case study approach has been adopted to evaluate the success factors for adaptive reuse of heritage real estate as found through previous literature review. As part of the case study, interviews are held with the stakeholders of Fenix Food Factory, for better understanding the overall framework of the project, such as stakeholder partnerships, reuse regulations and limitations determined by the municipality, financial and social viability. The case study material furthermore includes project documentation and written sources about the project. Findings – The findings show how success factors are applied in the decision making process of adaptive reuse projects. Furthermore, new factors that are not found in existing literature but are considered effective for the success of the Fenix food factory will be added to the body of knowledge on this topic. Originality/value- This research contributes to providing more comprehensive data as input for decision making models for successful adaptive reuse projects. This study reviews the classification of success factors that was revealed in previous studies. The final result of this study will contribute to develop knowledge for the management of heritage real estate.