The Prague 3 City Council has approved two contracts with developers Penta and Finep to build on one of Prague's largest brownfield sites at the former Žižkov railway station. This may lead to a change in the zoning plan, which the developers have been waiting for. On the other hand, the city and the district itself will receive CZK 267 million (almost €11 million) in so-called contribs, which will go towards building public parks, reconstructing schools and building a new kindergarten, writes e15.cz.

Czech Investment group Kaprain acquired ca. 53,000 sqm brownfield site from Howden ČKD Compressors, part of Howden, a leading global engineering company, which was recently acquired by Chart Industries. Howden ČKD Compressors exclusively appointed Colliers to market the facility for sale.

PSN has launched a new project, Ahoj Vanguard, in Československého exilu Street, near the former Microna factory, which is currently being converted into Vanguard Prague industrial housing with 150 lofts. They will be connected not only by an underground tunnel but also by a common background with a spa and wellness area with a swimming pool. The new construction of Ahoj Vanguard with 94 apartments is characterised by colours and a large amount of greenery. The new PSN project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2024.

The Riveroff building in Holešovice, part of the Port7 office complex near the Troja Bridge and Holešovice railway station in Prague, is changing hands. Brno-based businessman Jan Čermák has sold it to South Bohemian company 4 MTK, backed by Martin Krupauer, a prominent Czech architect from České Budějovice, e15.cz reports.

The office building in the very centre of Prague, Masaryčka, which bears the personal handwriting of the world-famous architect Zaha Hadid, has been duly approved. The new building, which was built by Penta Real Estate, is now being occupied by its first tenants.

According to CPI Property Group's financial results for H1 2023, the group's rental income continues to rise, even as it works on its disposal and deleveraging plans. The group's CEO expects a similar trend for the rest of the year.

The new residential project Semerínka, backed by the developer Crestyl, has received a building permit and construction will begin during the autumn. The Semerínka project in Prague's Radlice district, consisting of four blocks of varying heights, will offer 185 apartments.

According to Savills' research, the demand figures for premium office space in the first half of 2023 have started to vary significantly across Europe compared to the five-year average, Luxembourg saw a 137% increase, Oslo a 22% increase and Prague a 13% increase, while Lisbon, Dublin and Budapest saw declines of 62%, 42% and 21%. However, demand is facing a shortage of modern office buildings, especially in well-served locations. Moreover, no developer has started construction of an office building in Prague for more than 12 months. In addition, most of the projects that started with the construction earlier (e.g., Masaryčka) are already significantly occupied. On the contrary, the positive news for those interested in new offices is that up to 195,700 sqm of new office space could be built in Prague by the end of 2025, of which 143,600 sqm is already under construction, says Savills in its analysis. 

High demand and a lack of new projects have caused Prague's office vacancy rate to fall. It currently stands at 7.26%. The volume of new construction and refurbishments accounted for approximately 143,600 sqm at the end of Q2 2023, and the total market size was 3.85 million sqm. Benchmark rental prices did not change from the previous quarter; however, the price of office fit-out (equipping them with necessary features) is increasing due to ESG and modern standards. Such outlays can easily exceed €1,000 per sqm, according to a survey conducted by Colliers. 

The Ritz-Carlton luxury hotel, which is to be built in the heart of Prague after the renovation of eight historic buildings, and was delayed is now moving forward again. The long-planned construction of a five-star hotel was supposed to be completed last year, but the new completion date is now set for 2025 at the earliest. The reconstruction will also include 26 apartments for long-term rent, writes E15.cz.