According to the last few months’ most active investor on the Slovak market, investment activity is returning to normal. Martin Šmigura, investment manager of WOOD & Company’s real estate operations in Slovakia, talked to Property Forum about the company’s recent investment deals and shared his market expectations.

The new Acteeum project – Koszalin Power Center – developed in cooperation with Leroy Merlin and Agata Meble has just gained a food anchor. As part of the largest shopping complex in the Koszalin region, Lidl will open its large-format supermarket with an area of 2,000 sqm. The construction of the Power Center in Koszalin will start this year and the opening is planned for the second half of 2022.

Affan Yildirim, General Manager and Board Member at Romania-based real estate developer Anchor Grup talked to Property Forum about business strategy and shared his expectations for the Romanian economy and the property investment market in 2021.

Outlet centres in Europe continue to grow in terms of numbers and retail sales area. As the Wiesbaden-based research institute ecostra reports on the basis of its ongoing market monitoring, 4 outlet centres and a retail sales area of almost 55,000 sqm were added on balance in Europe in the past 12 months

Austrian privately held development company Karimpol Group officially launched the construction of the Squarebizz project in Bratislava. The first phase consists of 15,000 sqm of retail, storage, service and showroom facilities accompanied by up to 2,000 sqm of offices in three separate buildings. A second construction phase will extend the Squarebizz Bory by another 15,000 sqm of modern flexible space plus offices.

Companies from the BPO sector may be reducing their offices in North America or Western Europe, but they are taking up more space in CEE at the same time. Yovav Carmi, CEO of GTC talked to Property Forum about issuing green bonds, ESG strategies and the BPO industry.

Domestic investors own some of the largest office projects that are under development in Romania, although international players have the biggest portfolios in the market. 

The topping out ceremony was held on June 24th at the construction site of Galeria Andrychów – the largest retail park in the region and one of major retail developments currently under construction in Poland. The event was attended by local authorities, investors - Acteeum Group and Equilis Europe, as well as retailers and business partners.

French real estate group Catinvest says it obtained the building permits to start the expansion of Craiova-based Electroputere Mall. The company will extent the food court with five new restaurants and add 5,500 sqm of retail spaces. 

Real estate services platform Novaston was an exclusive support agent in the sales process of two retail properties in Serbia between two influential investors in the Balkan region: NEPI Rockcastle and BIG CEE. The binding agreement with the total consideration of the approx. €61 million euros for retail properties Kragujevac Plaza Shopping mall (with a GLA of 22,300 sqm) and Krusevac retail park (with a GLA of 8,600 sqm) was signed in June.