Total demand on the Budapest industrial market amounted to 88,230 sqm in Q4 2019, indicating a 16% decrease on a yearly basis. Leasing activity was driven by renewals (86%), followed by expansion (12.8%) and new leases (2.6%). The Budapest Research Forum published its quarterly industrial market analysis.

Panattoni Europe continues its expansion in north-eastern Poland. The developer has leased out 100 per cent of space at Panattoni Park Białystok I and announced the development of the second distribution centre in the heart of Podlasie. Additional 35,000 sqm will be delivered this year at Panattoni Park Białystok II.

Hungarian developer Infogroup has acquired the 33 ha Heliport Industrial Park in Kecskemét. The property offers nearly 40,000 square meters of industrial and logistics space, making this the largest acquisition in the company’s history. The transaction was made with the co-investment of the Kecskemét Development Fund.

Madison International Realty has acquired a 46.5 per cent equity stake in European Logistics Investment platform (ELI), a circa €500 million Polish real estate portfolio, from majority owner Redefine Properties Limited, a South-African based Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). The transaction is Madison’s first major logistics acquisition in Europe as it looks to increase its exposure to the asset class.

Invesco Real Estate has sold two build-to-suit distribution centres in Poland totalling 105,000 sqm to Chinese investment company CGL Investment Holdings Corporation. The sale was made on behalf of Invesco’s strategic opportunities investment programme and the corporate transaction has set new records for the market with assets valued based on a record yield for the Polish logistics market of 4.25%. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Demand for industrial and logistics space in Romania in 2019 reached a total of about 476.000 square meters, a value comparable to that of 2018, when the transactions amounted to a total of 514.000 square meters, according to JLL.

Panattoni has acquired a 14.4-hectare site at ul. Miedziana to build City Logistics Katowice. Construction works at the park, anticipated to feature 70,000 sqm at full build-out, will commence before year-end.

CA Immo has sold a 62,000 sqm land plot close to Budapest Airport to Földfém Kft. and intends to fully focus on the office market in the future. CA Immo was represented by CBRE and Hungarian law firm Cerha Hempel in the transaction.

Globalworth Industrial, the industrial and logistics sub-brand of Globalworth, has begun construction at Constanța Business Park, the largest mixed-use project in Romania. The business park is being developed on a plot of some 100 hectares and will include industrial and logistics, production and service space, as well as office buildings and an intermodal hub.

In Q3 2019, the total office stock in Prague reached 3.59 million sqm, according to Colliers International. Completions include two new and one refurbished property: Dock In Three in Prague 8 (16,000 sqm), Argentinská Office Building in Prague 7 (5,800 sqm) and the refurbished Life Building C in Prague 4 (11,100 sqm).