For a first overview, the "IHK-standortportal bayern" (bavarian chamber of commerce and industry) appears ideal. It offers a "comfortable map search" on the internet. If you are looking for commercial real estate or available commercial space, you can click on the appropriate link and enter the desired location. At the touch of a button, the user is presented with a list of suggestions. There is information about the respective flat areas, even the distance to the nearest airport and freeway access is mentioned. But as is the case with many online portals, their usefulness depends on regular updating. The search engine for commercial sites in the district of lichtenfels returns eight hits. The two in ebensfeld are listed as "as of 2012" on. We ask and learn that the flat areas – about 25 hectares in total – are still available for use. The situation is different in bad staffelstein: here, the online search on the same platform is unsuccessful, although there are also plots available there, as we learn from the head of the building authority, michael hess. He explains it like this: in the location portal, the plots only appear when owners who have been contacted have given feedback and signaled their willingness to sell.
The city is trying hard to get an up-to-date overview and, above all, to be able to offer building sites. Because in the free state, the premise was issued that internal development should have priority over new designations in the open countryside. "We are trying to raise people’s awareness", says hess. After a break of two years, the city only identified building vacancies again in july/august and wrote to around 250 landowners. A rough job that will keep an employee busy for at least two days.