According to the latest insights from Colliers International, investment activity in commercial property in Europe is expected to rebound to reach €100 billion in Q4, following a robust turn-around in larger, post-COVID deals in Q3. This would take investment volumes for the whole year to around €270 billion, only 14 per cent down on activity in 2019, provided smoother waters prevail and the market isn’t further shocked by external geo-political or macro-economic factors.

P3 Logistic Parks signed a collaboration protocol with the Regional Branch of Railway Transport for Passengers Bucharest (CFR Călători). The agreement grants train stops next to P3 Bucharest A1 park for the Regio and InterRegio trains circulating the route Bucharest - Videle and back. This new transport facility will allow P3 Bucharest A1’s tenants to recruit labour force from adjacent locations, on the route Roșiori - Videle - P3 Bucharest A1 - Basarab - Gara de Nord and back. Starting 21 September, P3’s park in Bucharest can be accessed also by train, from Gara de Nord or Basarab, in a 17-25 minutes trip.

Infogroup has commenced construction of a new logistics building in Polgár Industrial Park. The 4000 sqm speculative building is being developed in the company’s own industrial park. The customizable building will offer a solution to growing logistics and industrial needs, is expected to be ready in Q2 2021.

Even though logistics is the real estate sector least affected by the current economic downturn, tenants are still looking to cut costs and this is what landlords need to respond to. Ana Dumitrache, Country Head at CTP Romania, who will be a speaker at our upcoming SEE Property Forum 2020 in Bucharest, talked to us about how COVID-19 has impacted the company’s operations, what tenants are looking for and how an ambitious expansion strategy can be executed.

Student Depot, owned by Kajima Student Housing Limited in partnership with Griffin Real Estate Partners, announced the opening of its first facility in the university city of Gdańsk, Student Depot Kolobrzeska.

Lion’s Head Investments has announced the appointment of Anca Simionescu as Country Manager in Romania, responsible for the implementation of the Group’s strategy in the country.

A group of companies that in April 2019 filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against CPI Property Group, its majority shareholder Radovan Vítek and other accused parties, are appealing against the dismissal of the case.

Etele Plaza, developed by Futureal in Budapest’s Kelenföld area, has reportedly reached an occupancy rate over 75%. The shopping centre, planned to be completed by Q3 2021, will feature every Inditex brand available in Hungary, including a Zara fashion store featuring a brand new design concept.

The I&L sector in the CEE-17 has become one of the most sought-after asset types since 2019, after offices and residential according to Colliers International, CMS and Randstad. The report revealed that some of the key challenges in this sector include the availability of land and property in locations that meet both the developers and end-user expectations, along with the availability and reliability of utilities, connectivity to transport infrastructure, the availability and skills of the labour pool, and access to investment incentives.

The Râul Doamnei - Eroilor section of the M5 metro line, inaugurated in September, will shorten the travelling time for 150,000 Bucharest inhabitants who live near the 10 newly built stations, also offering a quick travel alternative for almost 20,000 employees working in companies whose office buildings’ headquarters are located in the Eroilor - Progresului – Politechnica areas. The Râul Doamnei, Constantin Brâncuși, Valea Ialomiței and Romancierilor metro stations, located at the western end of the new metro line, each have a catchment area of between 18,000 and 22,000 people who can access the metro within a 10-minute walk, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.