M7 Real Estate has undertaken its first acquisition on behalf of M7 CEREF II, its value-add opportunities fund focused on offices and logistics/industrial properties in key Central European markets, including Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Czech Republic. The investors purchased the 12,672 sqm Atrium office building in Katowice.

JLL and LaSalle have published the latest edition of the Global Real Estate Transparency Index – GRETI. As emphasized by the authors of the report, although there is a greater emphasis on corporate social responsibility and the use of new technologies, we are currently facing the slowest rate of transparency improvement since the period directly following the Global Financial Crisis.

The H1 data indicate that the worst-case scenarios regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Warsaw office market did not materialize. According to a report published by Cresa Poland, the second quarter witnessed a substantial volume of new supply which has now been almost fully absorbed by the market. A total of 100,000 sqm was delivered in Warsaw with an additional 700,000 sqm currently under construction.

Echo Investment has gained a loan for the construction of the MidPoint71 office building, that is being built in Wrocław on Powstańców Śląskich street. PKO Bank Polski provided the financing of the project. In accordance with the signed loan agreement, the bank granted Echo Investment €54.4 million in a construction loan, as well as a PLN 7 million VAT loan. Once the construction is finished, the construction loan will be converted to an investment loan. The total funding period ends on 30 June 2026.

Dywidag Systems International has leased 24,000 sqm of production-social space in Panattoni Park Ruda Śląska II, site for the production of Post-Tensioning Systems and Stay Cable Systems. The tenant was represented by Cresa Poland.

Total office market demand reached 335,000 sqm in H1 2020 on the Warsaw office market. In fact, demand for office space in Q2 was significantly higher than in Q1. Vacancy rates across Warsaw increased slightly by 0.1 p.p., with 770,000 sqm under construction. JLL summarised the Warsaw office market in H1 2020.

Panattoni is to build an advanced hi-tech manufacturing and warehouse complex for AZZ Specialty Welding Europe, a provider of specialised welding services for customers in various business sectors, including fossil power, refining, waste-to-energy, chemical processing and nuclear power. The 12,820 sqm facility will be located in Radom. The construction project is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2020, while the tenant should be able to move in in March 2021.

According to data from the Polish Council of Shopping Centers, footfall in shopping malls range from 62 to 73% when compared to last year’s numbers. The pandemic has changed the habits of Poles who are planning their shopping in a more thoughtful, cautious and safe way. In the new reality, small-format shops located close to home are attracting more visitors. By the end of May and after negotiations between owners and tenants had been completed, almost all shops in retail parks were operating. Some of these shops are now recording a turnover of 160% of pre-lockdown levels.

The Medezin factory has started production in a 7R investment in Konstantynów Łódzki, Poland. This is the second brand that belongs to the Pelion Group, the largest healthcare company in Poland, which operates in the 7R Park Łódź West I. The storage area for Medezin was designed in the BTS formula and was adapted to the specific needs of the pharmaceutical industry.

The drop in footfall numbers in the majority of shopping centres combined with a drop in turnover, as well as ongoing talks between tenants and shopping centre owners have caused a slowdown or even temporary suspension of development plans of some retail chains, especially those in the fashion sector. JLL summarised conditions on Poland's retail market at the end of H1 2020.