With the sale of its 51% holding in the Aerozone logistics park to M7 CEREF I in Budapest, CA Immo has completed the strategic withdrawal from the logistics segment that began in 2012. Over the past few years, almost 500,000 sqm of logistical space in total has been sold in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Germany.
CA Immo held a 51% stake in the recently sold Aerozone logistics park in Budapest, which spans approximately 65,000 sqm, through a joint venture with Union Investment Real Estate. The buyer of the logistical property was M7 CEREF I, an M7 managed fund. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price, which is understood to be in the mid-double-digit millions; closing has been confirmed. Law firm CHSH advised the seller in the sale of the Aerozone logistics park.
Photo: MTI / H. Szabó Sándor
According to Frank Nickel, CEO of CA Immo, “We have sold our logistics portfolio to underpin profitable growth in our core business of offices. At the same time we are reducing minority holdings with a view to raising the efficiency of our portfolio management. This largely concludes our programme of non-core sales, which has been in progress since 2012. Alongside logistics, the programme covers the residential segment, smaller office buildings and properties outside of our core cities with a total market value of approximately €1 bn.”
CA Immo is investing the revenue from non-strategic sales in expansion, and particularly the construction of new, modern office properties in Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt.
With the acquisition of 49% minority holdings in one office building in Prague and another in Budapest (finalised in January 2016), the Aerozone logistics park in Budapest became the last remaining property in the C1 portfolio held with joint venture partner Union. The joint venture launched in 2005 was disbanded with the closing of this transaction.
The buyer of the Aerozone logistics park, M7 Real Estate entered the Hungarian market at the end of last year when its CEREF I fund acquired a real estate portfolio from Recovery Zrt., the asset management company for CIB Bank in Hungary. The portfolio consists of two retail centres, the Atom Center in Paks and Csillagvár in Budapest, and the Acélforma industrial hall in Dunaharaszti.
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Industrial developer CTP announced that Moemax, part of the XXXLutz Group, has signed a lease for a 5,300 sqm logistics unit at CTPark Bucharest South.
New appointments
At the beginning of September, Ewa Ciołek and Piotr Meleszko were promoted to Senior Leasing Manager. MLP Group, recognising the internal competencies and achievements of its team, emphasises the importance of further improving the efficiency of its leasing operations, which are key to the company's dynamic growth.
Avison Young's Investment Advisory team in Poland has welcomed a new member, Katarzyna Sielewicz, who takes the role of Senior Consultant. Katarzyna holds a master’s degree in Finance from the Stockholm University School of Business and completed an exchange semester at Cass Business School in London. She gained international real estate experience working with the global Research and Strategic Advisory team at Cushman & Wakefield (formerly DTZ) in London.
Activ Property Services has announced the appointment of Ionuț Grigoraș as Partner in the industrial department. With more than 14 years of experience in the real estate sector, Grigoraș has worked with leading companies such as CTP, WDP, VLParks România, Logicor, P3, MDO, and MLP Group.
Redstone has completed the acquisition of the Olympia Olomouc shopping centre at the end of September. The seller is CCPEPF Poland Intermediate S.à r.l., which is part of the Catalyst Capital investment and management group.
The transformation of the energy sector in Europe is gaining momentum, offering attractive opportunities for investors. The Wood & Company Renewables sub-fund is responding to the dynamic development by acquiring two battery storage projects in Sweden and Finland.
One of the possible solutions for financing development projects is to establish your own investment fund. In the last year, a traditional tool to raise money for business has become a phenomenon, reports E15.cz.
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