AFI Europe, the owner of among others the largest mall in Bucharest, has completed the takeover of the portfolio consisting of four office projects from NEPI Rockcastle, in the most important office transaction in Romanian history. With a value of €307 million, the transaction through which NEPI Rockcastle, advised by Colliers International, sold four office projects to AFI Europe represents a third of the real estate investment market estimated at about €1 billion in 2020. The acquisition places Romania on the map of large strategic investors and has the potential to become a catalyst for significant new transactions in the future, being an important benchmark for local market liquidity and contributing to increasing investor confidence, according to Colliers International specialists.

United Business Center 3 in Timișoara has become the only LEED ‘Platinum’ certified office building in Romania outside Bucharest and the third one in the country.

The works for Speedwell’s newest project, Paltim, will soon kick off in the city of Timișoara. The demolition permit has been issued and the works are set to start in the first part of July 2020.

Italian group FRI-EL Green Power, a renewable energy producer, plans to invest over €80 million in developing the Ateneo residential project in the Romanian city of Timișoara.

Sapient Vest, a company controlled by Slovakia’s Slovunit AS, is planning to develop a logistics park in Timișoara. Sagului Logistic Center will spread over 400,000 sqm on Calea Sagului, economica.net reports.

Globalworth signed a lease with DS Smith for its second logistics park in Timisoara, a project belonging to Globalworth Industrial, its industrial and logistics sub-brand. DS Smith decided to relocate its Service Center operations from Timisoara, renting more than 6,000 sqm at the park. Following this new collaboration, the occupancy rate in all completed industrial projects under the Globalworth umbrella reached 100%.  

The industrial property market in the western and north-western areas of Romania is growing rapidly, after the stock has doubled in just four years, becoming the second-largest market after Bucharest. Stock is expected to exceed 700,000 sqm this year, according to CBRE data. The company recently advised the lease of a total area of about 18,000 sqm of industrial space within the Timisoara Industrial Park II project, which thus became fully occupied.

Alpha Bank Romania has sold a 60,000 sqm plot of land in Timișoara to German retail chain Lidl and two other investors. The Romanian bank previously planned to develop a shopping centre there, Ziarul Financiar reported.

Real estate developer Mulberry Development, controlled by businessman Ovidiu Șandor, has obtained the building permit for the Radisson Blu hotel in Timișoara. The 160-room hotel will be completed in 2021. The hotel will be operated by the Radisson Hotel Group.

Companies Iulius and Atterbury Europe have opened the Iulius Town mixed-use project in Timișoara, the largest investment in the region, adding up to a total of €442 million. Iulius Town entailed integrating Iulius Mall Timișoara into an extensive urban regeneration project, completing it with retail, office and entertainment uses.