ARTICLES LABELLED WITH TAG Poland

Benson Elliot, the UK-based private equity real estate fund manager, on behalf of its pan- European fund, Benson Elliot Real Estate Partners IV L.P. (BEREP IV) has acquired four grade A office buildings in key Polish regional markets. The properties, secured in separate off-market transactions with four different vendors, follow the fund’s acquisition of the 350-room Warsaw Sheraton Hotel in October 2015.

JLL has been selected by Portuguese company Porto Office as the exclusive commercialisation agent responsible for leasing space at Porto Office A, the second phase of the office and services investment developed in Kraków.

Accelerate Property Fund, a JSE-listed real estate investment trust, has announced it will acquire a portfolio of five single-tenanted, long-lease, light industrial properties in Poland for €41.9 million from Panattoni Europe.

Cushman & Wakefield signed a strategic partnership agreement with Polish start-up ShareSpace, recognizing the rapid growth of modern coworking office space for start-ups and SMEs, and changing office lease preferences of large corporations. Both partners will work together to further their expansion and promote technological and commercial solutions for flexible office leases.

Panattoni Europe has completed the construction of another e-commerce logistics centre for Amazon. The facility with total useful floor area of 161,500 sqm was erected in Kołbaskowo, near Szczecin. More than 3,000 robots have been put in place to support the employees, using Amazon Robotics technology. The investment was developed to comply with the requirements of BREEAM environmental certification.

The Warsaw office market maintains its strong momentum. This year’s total supply is expected to surpass 300,000 sqm, office take-up rose in the first three quarters of 2017 by 11.2% compared with the same period of 2016 and the vacancy rate is falling, shows the latest report by tenant-only advisory firm Cresa. The growth of the SSC/BPO sector and potential Brexit are likely to drive the Warsaw market going forward.

Panattoni Europe has completed stage one in the construction of a distribution centre for Castorama Polska. The developer has delivered 50,000 sqm out of 100,000 planned. One of the largest investments in Poland is going up in Stryków and it will provide logistics support which will enable the leading DIY/home improvement chain in Poland to go further towards fulfilling its fundamental commitment to customers – to provide them with the best possible product availability at attractive prices. The official opening of this section of the facility took place on 16 November 2017.

HB Reavis is simultaneously developing three buildings on the largest construction site in Warsaw city centre. The works on the diaphragm walls that will envelop the future basement storeys are nearing completion and a viewing platform has been opened for pedestrians to come and admire the spectacular excavation in progress.

Construction works on the modern office complex Podium Park in Kraków’s Czyżyny are under way. In connection with completion of the pre-lock-up stage in Building A, Podium Investment started to perform finishing works. Currently, according to the schedule, lock-up stage works in Building A are under way. Completion of the first building is planned for the end of June 2018.

The leasing department of Echo Investment finalised the lease of the last unit just before the opening of an extended part of Galaxy in Szczecin. Echo Investment is responsible for the construction and lease of the facility for EPP which is the owner and manager of Galaxy.