Michał Okoń, Managing Director of Zeitgeist Asset Management in Poland talked to Property Forum about the forecasts for the PRS market in Poland, subscription services and the impact of the pandemic on the rented apartment segment.

S Immo is ramping up its development activities in CEE with a new office project in Budapest. An ensemble consisting of three office buildings offering roughly 29,000 sqm of usable space will be built on Váci Road, one of the most important office locations in the Hungarian capital. The most significant structure is an 11-storey building located directly on Váci Road. The company plans to obtain sustainability certification according to BREEAM and WELL.

A total of 23 retail park projects with a total area of almost 55,000 sqm were completed in the Czech Republic last year, with the volume of development exceeding a ten-year average. In effect, the aggregate area of all retail parks in the Czech Republic has exceeded 1 million sqm. Retail park development currently focuses on smaller towns with up to 40,000 inhabitants. The greatest volume of new development was in the Central Bohemian Region last year, according to an analysis by Cushman & Wakefield.

Retail chain Penny Market will expand one of its three logistics centres in Hungary. The project, which is expected to be completed by August 2022, will add 30,000 sqm to the company's facility in Karcag, Eastern Hungary, increasing its storage capacity. Penny Market will also create new jobs through the one-year project.

Prologis has started a new speculative development at Prologis Park Budapest-Sziget II which is set to be delivered by the end of the year. A new 11,600 sqm warehouse building is now under development at the park, where 48,000 sqm of potential development space remains available.

Belgian logistics developer WDP announced that it is buying several land plots near Bucharest and aims to develop a new logistics centre in Transylvania. The company is currently finalising the acquisition of new land positions in the Bucharest region in the amount of €10 million, WDP announced in an interim statement for Q1 2021.

The topping-out ceremony has taken place for the .KTW II office building in Katowice, which at 133 metres is the tallest building in the Silesian conurbation.

Colliers recently secured the largest agent-involved transaction in the history of the Czech industrial market. Senior Associate Lukáš Svobodník brought Sportisimo to Hrušov in Ostrava, where Contera began construction of a logistics complex for the sporting goods retailer. This new distribution centre of the Czech company will offer jobs to 700 people. The 90,000 sqm hall, with a clear height of up to 25 meters, a rare feature in the Czech Republic, is now one of the country’s biggest logistics halls.

Login Business Park in the north of Budapest, owned by Wing, is set to expand with a new hall offering more than 5,000 sqm in floor space. The project responds to distinct market needs reflecting increasing demand and increasing interest in the park. The market was quick to signal the necessity of the construction project, with lease agreements signed for the entire floor space of the hall immediately. The development is scheduled to be completed in late summer 2021.

The first phase of Atenor’s BakerStreet office project in District 11 of Budapest has received the final building permit. Located at the intersection of Szerémi and Hengermalom Roads, BakerStreet Phase 1 will be implemented as a Class A+ office development on 17,000 sqm and will be handed over in Q1 2023.