Poland continues to attract brands from across Europe. The significance and the share of the Food & Beverage proposition within shopping centers continues to grow. Furthermore, both new retail concepts and mixed-use projects have become increasingly popular as well. JLL presents its summary of the Polish retail market as of the end of Q3 2017.

A scheme from the portfolio of IKEA Centres Polska S.A. will for the first time be managed externally. Centrum Franowo, completed within 15 months and delivered to the market at the end of September this year, comprises 15 000 sqm GLA, out of which 7 500 sqm on level 0 is dedicated to retail and services, while the remaining 7 500 sqm on level +1 will be used for offices.

Echo Investment has concluded a contract with Bank Zachodni WBK S.A. as an agent as well as Bank BGŻ BNP Paribas S.A. concerning a loan of over €67.5 million and a VAT loan of PLN 12 mln. The funds will be used for the construction of Galeria Libero in Katowice.

BKA development has won a tender to acquire the former Depo retail complex in Belgrade, beograd.rs reports. The Serbian company placed the highest bid of €4.15 million for the complex located in the Vracar area of the capital.

Neinver, a Spanish company specialised in investment, development and management of property assets, has announced the opening date for Prague The Style Outlets, located in the capital of the Czech Republic. A joint project between The Prague Outlet and Neinver, Prague The Style Outlets will open its doors in 26 April 2018.

Băneasa Developments, the operator of Baneasa Shopping City in the northern part of Bucharest, plans to expand the mall by 127,000 sqm. The developer plans to invest over to €300 million until 2026.

pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank provided an investment facility of €22 million to CBRE Property Fund Central and Eastern Europe, an investment fund focusing on retail assets in Poland and Slovakia, managed by CBRE Global Investors. This is the second transaction after the refinancing of Wars Sawa Junior retail scheme one month ago. CBRE PFCEE will use the proceeds for the refinancing of the dominant Europa Shopping Center in Banská Bystrica. pbb acted as arranger and sole lender under the facility.

Immofinanz has completed and opened a further shopping centre under its Vivo! retail brand in the Polish city of Krosno. Vivo! Krosno has approx. 21,000 sqm of rentable space and is fully occupied. This shopping centre expands Immofinanz‘s Vivo! portfolio to ten locations in four countries with more than 314,000 sqm of rentable space.

Cushman & Wakefield is responsible for the commercialisation of Pradera’s four retail parks in Poland: Homepark Targówek and Homepark Janki in Warsaw, Homepark Rawa in Katowice and Homepark Franowo in Poznań. The four retail schemes provide more than 100,000 sqm of GLA.

Master Management Group is planning the first European outlet centre with a village designed concept in Poland. The first phase of the project, located in Łomna near Warsaw, close to the Warsaw – Gdańsk route and Modlin Airport, will have an area of almost 19,000 sqm. The second phase will deliver a further 30,000 sqm.