According to Savills, the Czech nationwide industrial vacancy rate declined again and reached a new historic low of 2.4%, after dropping by 89 basis points (bps) since the end of 2020. The volume of new industrial space delivered to the market during H1 2021 was 43% down year-on-year (y-o-y). The total stock of modern industrial premises in the country grew by 192,300 sqm, of which 110,800 sqm were completed in Q2 2021. At the end of June, the total stock stood at 9.3 million sqm.

Hungary-based Alfa Group plans to raise approximately HUF 10 billion in its first Green Bond issue scheduled for October 2021. Ohad Epschtein, Managing Partner of Alfa Group International talked to Property Forum about the importance of sustainability and he also shared some details about the company’s expansion strategy.

The total stock of industrial and logistics spaces gained close to 200,000 sqm in the first half of this year to more than 5.4 million sqm and the sector will continue to expand by the end of 2021, according to data from real estate consultancy Avison Young. 

Meliá Hotels International is continuing on its development path throughout the Mediterranean and aims to take advantage of growth opportunities in Albania. After beginning its expansion plan in the country in 2017, Meliá has now announced its fourth hotel: the Sol Dürres Hotel, located in the second most important city in the country and one of its key tourism development centres. The company expects to open the hotel next year, and this will then be followed by the opening of three additional hotels: the Meliá Dürres, the Meliá Tirana and a third hotel in Dürres under the INNSiDE by Meliá brand. The company thus intends to introduce three of its brands and position itself as one of the leading international hotel operators in the country. 

A location between two metro stations - Rondo ONZ and Rondo Daszyńskiego, characteristic Xs in the architecture of the ground floor. These are just some of the distinguishing features of the new Skanska project in Warsaw. Studio, the newest Skanska office complex, the construction of which starts on Prosta Street, will provide a total lease area of approx. 43,000 sqm GLA. This is yet another project of the Swedish developer in the business district in Warsaw.

Real estate developer Speedwell says it has refinanced a loan granted by BRD Société Générale after the completion of Cluj-based Record Park Offices. 

The growth potential of the Polish construction market will remain significant through 2026 on the back of the continuation of ambitious road and railway infrastructure projects, the required power transformation of the Polish economy and the steadily robust performance of the residential construction sector. A vast majority of projects underway or planned to implemented are located in the six most economically advanced regions, which jointly account for two-thirds of the construction market’s value.

Following their reopening in May, shopping centres have seen both their revenue and footfall increase to a rate exceeding the performance during the same period last year. The footfall was lower than in the pre-crisis year 2019, but the revenue was comparable; in fact, it was slightly higher. Supermarkets and hypermarkets fare the best in terms of revenue; electronics and health and beauty products are also doing well. The current performance of shopping centres can therefore be described as very strong, with figures exceeding initial expectations, and investors show renewed interest in properties again, with several major retail transactions being planned for this year and the next. To date, office and logistics properties have been selling the best this year.

Trei Real Estate GmbH will be opening its 26th retail park under the Vendo Park brand in Poland. It is located in Oswiecim, a small town of around 40,000 residents in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. This latest Vendo Park has a leasing area of around 5,300 square metres and is leased to seven retailers and a supermarket. In total, Trei invested c. €7.2 million in the property. The new retail park is the first in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.

Will Robson, Executive Director and Global Head of Real Estate Solutions Research at MSCI, talked to Property Forum about the assessment of environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators in commercial real estate and its emerging role in the risk management of organizations.