Futureal Group has started the construction of the Corvin 5 office building in Budapest. The first phase of the building is expected to be handed over by the end of 2018. The complex valued at €90 million is also among the firsts to receive Well Building certification in Hungary since it has already been registered in the international process of the standard system.

The Budapest office market vacancy rate has decreased to 8.6% in Q2 2017, which is the lowest rate ever on record.  Renewals were the major driver of the leasing activity while no new buildings were completed in the quarter. The Budapest Research Forum published its newest figures.

According to Savills, the total volume of commercial property investment transactions concluded Q2 2017 in Poland exceeded €1 billion. Investor activity is high, driven mainly by portfolio transactions. 

With a 4.8%-GDP growth in 2016 and the highest estimated growth rate in 2017 among EU member states, Romania has become an increasingly attractive destination for regional operations centres. The tax and legal regimes along with the geographic location, as well as the highly yet not so costly labour force are some of the key ingredients contributing to the country’s attractiveness, according to the Recipe for successful tax, law & real estate of regional operations centres in Romania report prepared by Deloitte Romania, Reff & Associates- Deloitte Legal together with Knight Frank. 

Vastint Poland has appointed Hochtief Polska as the general contractor of the second phase of Business Garden Wroclaw. Under the contract, six office and service buildings with a total leasable area of approx. 79,000 sqm are to be built. Construction works will commence in July this year and will end in November 2019.

Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed property manager of Krakow’s office complex Zabłocie Business Park. The scheme is owned by IMS Budownictwo, a local housing developer.

Colliers International Hungary announced that Michael Smithing has returned to the Office Agency Team as Director of Landlord Representation, effective immediately.

JLL will launch its new office in Łódź, which will be the company’s fifth unit in Poland. Marta Pyziak has been appointed head of the company’s newly-established unit.

AFI Tech Park, the newest office project developed by AFI Romania, achieved a LEED Platinum pre-certification. AFI Tech Park is a business campus that will offer 56,000 sqm GLA of Class A office space, comprising of two office buildings of GF+8 and one office tower (GF+14). 

Erste Group officially opened the Sirius Offices business complex in Belgrade for tenants who are expected to enter the building soon. Erste Bank Serbia is the first tenant to move into the new business complex, which will become its main business centre in Belgrade. Beside Erste Bank, Strabag d.o.o Beograd has been secured as a second large anchor tenant, renting 4,000 square meters office space. The first phase of the investment is worth €40 million and the complex occupies an area of 18,500 square meters gross of office space. Besides office premises, Sirius Offices includes a restaurant, a shop and 230 parking places.