In 2021, the warehouse sector strongly dominated Poland's commercial real estate market in terms of volume. The value of transactions - approximately €3.2 billion - accounted for over half of the total value of investment transactions. In 2022, the sector's result - €2 billion – accounted for "only" a 34% share in the total transaction volume in Poland, says Bartłomiej Krzyżak, Senior Director, Investment at Avison Young Poland.

The most successful outlet centres in Europe have a new leader. Cheshire Oaks, located south of Liverpool in the industrial town of Ellesmere Port, is the second English centre to top the list of the most successful outlet centres in Europe. Until now, this rank in England was reserved for Bicester Village, which is located near the university city of Oxford as well as the tourist attraction Stonehenge. This is a result of the "Outlet Centre Performance Report Europe" (OCPRE), which has been updated annually since 2008 and whose latest edition has just been published. The third place has been taken by Designer Outlet Warsaw in Piaseczno near the Polish capital.

Walter Herz has opened a branch in Tri-City, which will be managed by Jarosław Zdzitowiecki, who took the position of Associate Partner/Head of Tri-City in the company.

Another German investor is entering the Polish property market. The Livos Group of companies is starting its expansion in Poland with Warsaw. The investor has purchased 63 residential units in the Złota 44 high-rise building in the very centre of the Polish capital. The seller was Catella Residential Investment Management, which has thus withdrawn from this country, Investmap.pl reports.

Real Management S.A. has closed the sale of the office and technology building Bolero Office Point 2, located at 4 Równoległa Street in Warsaw. The building has been acquired by Interpierre Europe Centrale, an SCPI managed by PAREF Gestion. The price has not been disclosed.

Last year MLP Group recorded very good results as regards contracts signed with tenants. During the period, the Polish developer of logistics facilities leased in approximately 240,000 sqm of space. The largest number of contracts were signed at the MLP Pruszków II park near Warsaw and MLP Poznań West. This year the level of commercialisation is planned to go up by about 20%.

A syndicate of four banks granted HB Reavis a loan for refinancing the Varso Place project, a mixed-use scheme in central Warsaw. The total amount of €475 million makes it the largest non-portfolio loan in the history of the commercial real estate market in Poland and one of the biggest in Central and Eastern Europe. The last stage of Varso Place, Varso Tower, was delivered in 2022.

A new inner city warehouse, Gdynia City Logistics, will be built in Gdynia on Północna Street, just 9 km from the city centre, less than 30 minutes drive from the airport and 10 minutes from Gdynia Port. Torus, as part of the diversification of its operations under the name Torus Logistics and in cooperation with BTV Real Estate, has just received a decision on land development conditions.

Building warehouses at post-industrial sites is more difficult and complicated than greenfield projects. It takes more time and money. Brownfield sites are, however, an excellent alternative for developers facing a shortage of land. Brownfield redevelopment is also aligned with sustainability and urban renewal, say Jakub Kurek, Head of Industrial and Warehouse, Newmark Polska, and Michał Rafałowicz, Regional Director, Newmark Polska.

Peakside Capital Advisors has selected a general contractor for phase 1 redevelopment of the City Point Targówek urban logistics park. The contract will be executed on an EPC basis by Kajima Poland. Phase 1 demolition work is currently in progress. Ultimately City Point Targówek is to provide nearly 100,000 sqm of warehouse and office space, meeting the highest standards in sustainability. Handover of the first building to tenants is expected to take place by the end of this year.