Representatives of the BMW Group, the Czech government and the Karlovy Vary region announced construction of a new proving ground. The roughly 500-hectare property will be developed in Sokolov in the Karlovy Vary region, close to the German border town of Waldsassen and about two-and-a-half hours’ drive from the BMW Group’s main development site, the Research and Development Centre (FIZ), in Munich. The new BMW Group proving ground, which will create several hundred jobs, is slated to go into operation early in the next decade. Total investment will be in the three-digit million-euro range.

Union Investment has expanded its Polish shopping centre portfolio by making its first investment of this kind in Wrocław. The latest addition to open-ended real estate fund Unilmmo: Europa is Magnolia Park, which comprises some 100,000 sqm of retail space. Sold to Union Investment by Blackstone for around €380 million, the shopping centre is almost fully let, with leases having an average of 4.2 years to run. The shopping centre will continue to be managed by Multi after the sale. Cushman & Wakefield advised Union Investment on the transaction.

A Slovak private equity group has disposed of a 6,800 sqm hypermarket in Liptovský Mikuláš with an exceptionally long lease with Tesco to a Czech private investor, Cushman & Wakefield announced on Twitter.

As a response to continued strong demand from tenants in Budapest and Bucharest, Skanska plans to launch several new projects in both capital cities. Marcin Łapiński, Managing Director for Hungary and Romania talked to Property Forum about the differences between the two markets.

CPI Property Group acquired three hotel properties in the Czech Republic and Hungary: a historical building in Český Krumlov, an existing hotel in Olomouc and an office building adjacent to a hotel in Budapest.

The Board of Directors of TK Development has decided that going forward, property development activities will be confined to the Danish and Swedish markets, and the activities in Poland will be divested.

Globalworth announced the successful completion of the non-pre-emptive placing of new ordinary shares. A total of 38.9 million new ordinary shares in the company have been placed by Jefferies International Limited at a price of €8.75 per placing share, raising total gross proceeds of €340 million, in excess of the company's target and oversubscribed at this level.

GTC’s Polish flagship retail project was officially granted an investment loan facility in the maximum amount of up to €200 million. Under the original agreement, Bank Pekao S.A. granted a construction loan facility of up to €116 million.

British group Kingfisher PLC, a European DIY chain present in Romania through the Brico Depot brand, acquired Praktiker Romania, which currently operates 26 units and is one of the largest DIY retailers in the country. PeliFilip assisted Kingfisher PLC.

Auchan Retail Romania, a subsidiary of Auchan, has acquired OK, a supermarket chain which has three units in the Bucharest area, zf.ro reports.