Coffee with Craig Show – daily CRE news covering the CEE region, Wednesday, September 7, with Winston Norman, Editor and Chief of EuropaProperty.com.
AFI Europe chooses Arad for its first retail park in Romania
Representatives of AFI Europe and Arad City Hall have laid the foundation stone of the first modern retail park in Arad, western Romania. Built-in the centre of the city, the retail project is set to open to the public in the second half of 2023.
AFI Arad is the first retail park developed by AFI Europe in Romania. The company previously developed three large-scale shopping centres in Bucharest, Brasov, and Ploiesti.
“Before long, we will invite the city’s residents to take part in a modern shopping experience in a retail park that brings top brands and the most attractive leisure spaces,” said Doron Klein, CEO of AFI Europe Romania and the Czech Republic.
The future retail park will occupy a built area of 30,600 sqm on a piece of land with a total perimeter of 79,900 sqm. The project’s gross leasable area (GLA) is 29,400 sqm on a single level, served by 950 parking spaces above ground level. Currently, the project’s occupancy rate is 70 percent.
East Capital Real Estate announces three new BREEAM sustainability certificates
As part of East Capital Real Estate’s commitment to investing in green, environmentally sustainable assets, the company announced three new BREEAM sustainability certificates. “These latest certificates take us closer to our goal to have all properties in our fourth fund certified,” the company said.
“These successful BREEAM certifications complete East Capital Real Estate’s aim to certify all three assets acquired by the East Capital Real Estate Fund IV in Lithuania during the last year and this further supports the fund’s core strategy to invest in green, environmentally sustainable assets,” added Albin Rosengren, Partner, East Capital Group.
East Capital Real Estate obtained the BREEAM In-Use sustainability certificate on the level “very good” for SEB’s head office in Tallinn. The BREEAM certification labels the building as “well balanced”, with strong results in all categories.
Janek Hintsov from Newsec comments: “The BREEAM certification is a recognition to the building owner and the management company that another step towards a carbon-free environment and sustainable management of the building has been taken.”
Tink Poland with a new office in Warsaw
Swedish IT company, Tink, will lease 1,700 sqm of new space in the Varso 2 office building in Warsaw. The JLL team guided Tink through the entire negotiation process and finalisation of the transaction.
Varso 2 is part of the mixed-use Varso Place development by HB Reavis located in the very heart of Warsaw, next to the Central Railway Station. Designed by the HRA Architekci studio it is one of the most ecological buildings in Poland. The quality of the design and the standard of environmentally-friendly solutions have been confirmed by a BREEAM outstanding certification, which is the highest possible level.
“Our support for Tink also included the design of the space in collaboration with the architectural firm Tetris, which is part of the JLL group, resulting in an innovative employee-friendly space,” believes Jarosław Kwiecień, Senior Consultant, JLL.
The company will begin moving into the new office later this year.
S Immo announces changes to the management board
Following the successful completion of the mandatory offer by CPI Property Group in relation to S IMMO, the Supervisory Board have agreed that the acting Chairman of the Management Board, Bruno Ettenauer contract will be terminated.
Mr. Ettenauer’s tasks will be assumed by Herwig Teufelsdorfer, member of the Management Board of S IMMO AG..
Karin Rest, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of S IMMO AG, commented: “Bruno Ettenauer assumed the management of S IMMO at a time when there were major challenges both externally due to the strains of the COVID-19 pandemic and internally due to the company’s shareholder structure. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for the care and competence with which he has led S IMMO over the past 1.5 years.”
Martin Němeček, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board and CEO of CPI Property Group, said: “Bruno Ettenauer is an outstanding manager and a proven property expert. We recognise his achievements for S IMMO over the past two years in a decidedly respectful manner.”
Bruno Ettenauer, added: “The time at S IMMO was certainly characterized by many challenges, but above all by great cooperation with all colleagues and many enriching experiences.”
