Piotr Trzciński, Head of Investment – Poland at Savills Investment Management talked to Property Forum about the changes forced by pandemic on the investment market, financing conditions and the long-term strategies of major international players.

The Polish warehouse market experienced robust occupier demand in H1 2021, with take-up at 3.3 million sqm. Logistics companies and e-commerce retailers accounted for over half of all space leased. Supply also remains high, with 1.1 million sqm delivered in the first six months of 2021, which is a testament to strong market fundamentals. Very good absorption of space has resulted in a decline in availability, to 5.4% of the stock at the end of June. However, with the amount of space under construction at an all-time high of 3.4 million sqm, the vacancy rate is expected to stabilise in the upcoming quarters. Advisory firm Axi Immo presented its report "Polish Warehouse Market in H1 2021".

The two-millionth square meter occurred in one of the apartments of Esencja Apartments in Poznań. The apartment was handed over at the end of July. During the 25 years of its existence, Echo Investment has built and delivered almost 200 projects in 37 Polish cities.

The Board of Directors of Atrium European Real Estate has received a proposal from Gazit Globe Limited to acquire the equity of Atrium that Gazit does not currently own for a consideration of €3.35 per share. An independent committee of the Atrium Board will review and consider the proposal.

A location between two metro stations - Rondo ONZ and Rondo Daszyńskiego, characteristic Xs in the architecture of the ground floor. These are just some of the distinguishing features of the new Skanska project in Warsaw. Studio, the newest Skanska office complex, the construction of which starts on Prosta Street, will provide a total lease area of approx. 43,000 sqm GLA. This is yet another project of the Swedish developer in the business district in Warsaw.

The growth potential of the Polish construction market will remain significant through 2026 on the back of the continuation of ambitious road and railway infrastructure projects, the required power transformation of the Polish economy and the steadily robust performance of the residential construction sector. A vast majority of projects underway or planned to implemented are located in the six most economically advanced regions, which jointly account for two-thirds of the construction market’s value.

Trei Real Estate GmbH will be opening its 26th retail park under the Vendo Park brand in Poland. It is located in Oswiecim, a small town of around 40,000 residents in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. This latest Vendo Park has a leasing area of around 5,300 square metres and is leased to seven retailers and a supermarket. In total, Trei invested c. €7.2 million in the property. The new retail park is the first in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship.

Zeitraum, an international operator of student housing schemes, has just taken over the management of its first dormitory in Poland as Zeitgeist Asset Management, an investor operating on the Polish market for several years, finalised the purchase of a privately-run student hall located in Kraków from NNS. The asset is located at 33 Koszykarska Street and has been operating under the Unibase brand for three years. It can accommodate 345 people in 157 rooms. The first students will move into the building in September. JLL experts supported the investor in the purchase of the asset.

Panattoni is building a distribution centre in Siedlce and by doing so, it is also opening up a new market for warehousing space in Poland. Panattoni Park Siedlce comprising 24,600 sqm is to be an alternative location to Warsaw and shall meet the demands of e-commerce, as well as of local business development. The project is being built not far from the centre of the city near the A2 motorway just over an hour from Warsaw.

Malthouse Offices, the biggest office building of the Warsaw Brewery complex, as well as the historic Malthouse were acquired by Deka Immobilien, an international investment and asset manager. The buildings were sold for approximately €152.3 million.