There's a new player on Poland's logistics market that's open to developing all types of projects – last-mile city logistics, classic big box or BTS units. Hadley Dean, Founder of MDC², a new company of experienced managers on the Polish warehouse market talked to Property Forum about new partnerships and the investment climate. 

Developer Warehousing & Logistics EOOD (W&L) has begun the construction of the newest industrial park in Bulgaria, called Logistics Park Sofia (LPS). The park is located about 8 km from the capital Sofia. W&L is planning to build 4 warehouse buildings in the complex which will span more than 116,000 sqm of industrial and office space that will be available to potential tenants. So far this is the first Bulgarian logistics park with such a high concentration of industrial space.

Hungarian developer Infogroup has closed a successful bond issue as part of the National Bank of Hungary's (MNB) Bond Funding for Growth Scheme. During the rating procedure, the group was assigned BB- and the bond was rated BB. The funds raised through the bond issue will be used to carry out industrial property projects.

Biuro Inwestycji Kapitałowych started the second stage of development of the BIK Park Wrocław logistics park. The project will provide approx. 22,500 square meters of warehouse space. Consequently, the surface area of the entire complex will reach the target level of approx. 47,500 square meters. The construction works are planned to be completed by the end of this year.

Panattoni has leased 10,500 sqm to Well Pack in the City Logistics Łódź II warehouse park. The space will be used by the logistics operator for the machine washing and disinfection of reusable food containers for supermarket chains. The tenant will move into its new premises in July, from where it will carry out its main operations.

According to AXI Immo, the Polish industrial market remains in great form. The sector is still attractive in the eyes of investors, and the boom in the e-commerce industry continues to fuel occupier demand. Take-up in Q1 2021 was 59% higher than in the same period last year, at 1.6m sqm. In addition, new sources of financing and greater developer confidence resulted in an increase in the amount of space under construction, which at the end of March 2021 reached 2.3m sqm (+11% y/y). 

The first quarter of 2021 saw record low vacancies in the greater Prague region, affirming consistent high interest in industrial premises in premium locations. High demand is pushing lease prices upwards, with lease prices having grown by 25 % per sqm year-on-year within the Prague cadastral district, for example. The Czech industrial real estate market is being impeded by drawn-out approval processes and a lack of new options in areas with the greatest demand.

Retailer Penny, part of Rewe Group, has announced a long-term investment program in Romania that includes the expansion of the store network and the development of logistics operations. 

VGP has launched construction of the fifth hall in its logistic park VGP Park Pilsen, located in an industrial part of the city’s Bručná quarter. The park is adjacent to the E49 and has access to the D5 motorway. On a land of about 10 hectares, VGP offers nearly 50,000 sqm of lettable area suitable for light manufacturing, logistics and accompanying commercial activities. Tenants of the new warehouse will be DHL Express, leasing 1,113 sqm, as well as Verhoek Europe with 2,170 sqm of logistics space.

Logistics parks offering space that can be flexibly tailored to the needs of smaller tenants are increasingly high on the agenda of industrial developers, especially on the Warsaw market, according to Tomasz Bulej, Junior Negotiator at  Cushman & Wakefield.