Despite its unique nature, 2020 brought twice as many new offices in Warsaw as the previous year. Thanks to the high activity of developers, there is already a total of over 12 million sqm of office space in the largest cities in Poland. This year, the leaders of the real estate development market announce further completions of large investments. The companies implementing office projects throughout the country plan to commission up to 800 thousand sqm of new space.

In the new Panattoni Pilsen Digital Park on Pilsen’s Bory terraces, a fully automated plant for the production of 100% recyclable beverage cans will be built in the first phase. It will be used by American company Ball, a world leader in this industry. The investment will create almost 200 new jobs for a qualified workforce. The first building will occupy a third of the planned area. Ball is also setting up its own development centre in the same location.

Warsaw, Krakow, Gdansk (Tricity) and Wrocław are among the top ten markets for hotel operators in Central and Eastern Europe and in Southern and Eastern Europe, making Poland the regional leader. Hotel operators are also targeting other regional cities across Poland, says global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Atenor has signed an agreement relating to the acquisition of another plot in District XI of Budapest, under 20 Hengermalom Road, with an area of 8,326 sqm. The plot is next to Atenor’s planned project, BakerStreet, and similarly, a Class A+ office building will be developed on it as Phase II of BakerStreet.

CPI Property Group announced the successful issue of ten-year senior unsecured bonds and hybrid bonds with a total value of €1 billion.

Crowdberry, an investment platform enabling private investors to invest in Czech and Slovak companies and real estate, has launched a new qualified investor real estate fund, the CB Property Investors Subfund (CBPI). The fund aims to invest €30 million over the next three years to deliver a portfolio of ca. +€75 million in total value. CBPI will focus on value-add real estate across different asset classes and will target above-market returns of 10+% p.a. for investors by unlocking and elevating the value of Czech and Slovak real estate.

Heimstaden Bostad AB announces its second acquisition in Poland, consisting of three build-to-rent projects in Warsaw with 647 residential units of 29,851 sqm and 11 commercial units of 1,068 sqm for approximately SEK 842 million (PLN 381 million) and an option to acquire an additional 60 apartments. The seller and developer is Marvipol Development SA.

The latest annual report by specialist business property advisor Christie & Co reflects on the themes, activity and challenges of the previous year and forecasts what 2021 might bring across the hotel investment sector in various European countries.

Nikodem Iskra, CEO of Murapol, one of the largest residential developers in Poland, believes that in 2021 the residential market will shake off the effects of the pandemic. He foresees further increases of apartment prices – in his opinion record-low interest rates are not only stimulating the mortgage market, but are also a strong impulse for investment activity

In 2020, demand for office space in regional cities was 16% lower compared to 2019, the vacancy rate increased by 3.2 pp and the volume of office space under construction is at its lowest in about five years. Advisory firm JLL summarizes the situation in the Polish office market at the end of 2020.