GTC has sold Spiral, a Class A office building located in Budapest, Hungary. The sale will generate €41 million of free cash.

GTC has expanded its portfolio of green projects. The Matrix A and Matrix B office buildings in Zagreb have both been granted LEED Platinum certifications. Thus, 80% of all GTC’s office properties now bear an eco-friendly label. 

GTC Supervisory Board has appointed Mr. Yovav Carmi to the position of the President of the Management Board of GTC.

GTC has appointed Grzegorz Strutyński to the position of Country Manager Poland. He will be responsible for all activities taken by the company in Poland.

GTC’s rental and service revenues decreased by €3 million to €79 million in H1 2020. The decrease mainly resulted from a decrease in income of approximately €8 million due to rent relief imposed by governments during the lockdown of shopping malls and rent concessions and discounts provided by the Group to the retail tenants across the portfolio due to the COVID-19 outbreak combined with a decrease on rental revenues following the sale of GTC White House in the third quarter of 2019 and Neptun Office Center in the fourth quarter of 2019 of €3 million. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in the rental revenues due to completion of Ada Mall, Green Heart, ABC I and Matrix A.

GTC’s rental income suffered a €2 million decrease due to rent and service charge relief imposed by governments during the lockdown of shopping malls. Still, total rental and service charge revenues increased to €41 million in Q1 2020 from €39 million in Q1 2019. GTC presented its financial results at the end of Q1 2020.

GTC Bulgaria has informed that the varied tenant portfolio of Advance Business Center II will be enriched by Commerzbank. One of the largest German banks will lease over 3,500 sqm GLA of office space starting 1st December 2020. The pre-leasing agreement was consulted by CBRE. Advance Business Center II is under construction phase and due for delivery in Q4 2020.

The competition authorities of Poland, Hungary and Serbia have all granted consent for Optimum Ventures Private Equity Fund’s takeover of a majority shareholding (61.49%) in Globe Trade Centre S.A., a Polish company trading on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Optimum Ventures Private Equity Fund (owned by Optima, the fund manager of the National Bank of Hungary's foundations) and an affiliate of Lone Star Funds (an American private equity firm) have entered into a conditional share purchase agreement, pursuant to which Optima will acquire a majority shareholding (61.49%) in Globe Trade Centre S.A., a Polish company trading on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

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.