Kraków has nearly doubled its office stock over the last four years, becoming the largest and fastest-growing regional city office market in Poland, according to a new report by Savills.

Erste Group Bank AG has appointed Patrick Zehetmayr to head the banking group’s commercial real estate business, which encompasses non-residential activities at both the stock-listed company’s holding level and at Erste Bank Oesterreich, the group’s Austrian subsidiary. In his new role, Zehetmayr is responsible for the group’s commercial real estate coverage and financing activities, as well as for the real estate leasing business of Erste Group Immorent (EGI), whose supervisory board he chairs.

The industrial property market in the western and north-western areas of Romania is growing rapidly, after the stock has doubled in just four years, becoming the second-largest market after Bucharest. Stock is expected to exceed 700,000 sqm this year, according to CBRE data. The company recently advised the lease of a total area of about 18,000 sqm of industrial space within the Timisoara Industrial Park II project, which thus became fully occupied.

CTPark Budapest West BIA2 has been recently awarded a BREEAM In-Use „Excellent” rating.

In the last five years, the Romanian real estate market has attracted over 20 new investors from all over the world, the most active of them making acquisitions with a total value of approximately €1.5 billion, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

A joint venture between a fund managed by the Real Estate Group of Ares Management Corporation and Griffin Real Estate announced the acquisition of a 98.04% stake in Murapol SA, a leading Polish property development company. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Panattoni has embarked on the construction of Panattoni Park Gorzów Wielkopolski, planned to total nearly 70,000 sqm. The site is 7 km from the city centre, in the vicinity of the S3 route leading from Szczecin to the A2 motorway, and has already secured its first tenants. They are Omnipack and Logoplaste Polska, taking up in excess of 10,000 sqm in total.

Flow East has pre-leased 75% of its mixed-use project being constructed on Wenceslas Square (Václavské náměstí), with just 5,000 square metres of office space left available at The Flow Building five months ahead of its completion.

GTC signed a €130 million refinancing loan agreement for one of the largest assets in its portfolio, Galeria Jurajska. Located in Częstochowa, the 48,700 sqm shopping centre offers over 200 stores, service points, restaurants and a multi-screen cinema.

CTP announced a new aggressive growth plan to achieve a portfolio size of 10 million sqm by 2023. In order to reach this ambitious goal, CTP is taking steps towards various options to further strengthen its capital base and enhance its growth prospects. The company is currently considering partnering with a strategic investor.