Coffee with Craig Show – daily CRE news covering the CEE region in PANATTONI CAFE with Craig Smith, Founder and Publisher of EuropaProperty.com and Winston Norman, Editor and Chief of EuropaProperty.com.
EBRD invested record €846 million in Serbia in 2023
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested a record €846 million in Serbia last year, up by nearly €200 million from 2022 and well above the previous all-time high of €679 million in 2020.
Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Regional Director for the Western Balkans said: “We financed impactful projects in the energy sector, in infrastructure, innovation, attracting foreign direct investment and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.”
In 2023, the Bank financed 28 projects in Serbia, with a strong focus on the green transition, digital advancement and economic inclusion. As always, the Bank was highly active in the private sector, financing larger foreign direct investments, such as BIG retail parks, and supporting local SMEs with more than €300 million in loans channelled through partner banks.
Rossmann achieves record sales of €13.9 billion
ROSSMANN achieved record sales of €13.9 billion in 2023 with sales growth of 14.4 percent in nine European countries it operates. The Group’s investment volume for 2024 is over €65 million more than in the previous year.
Investments will be made in around 253 new stores, 75 of them in Germany. In Germany, sales grew by 10 percent to €9.3 billion. The foreign companies (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Albania, Kosovo, Spain and Denmark) recorded an increase in sales of 24 percent to €4.6 billion.
Capital Park’s flagship projects go green
Capital Park Group has started to power its projects with energy from renewable sources. Norblin Factory, Royal Wilanów and two Vis à Vis street malls now use 100 percent green energy. The energy supplier is Enefit. Westbridge Advisory team advised Capital Park in the procurement process.
“Our commitment to using only green energy reflects our concern for the environment and future generations,” said Marcin Juszczyk, Management Board Member, CIO/CFO at Capital Park Group.
“Whether owner, investment or asset manager: the EU taxonomy makes the energy optimization of real estate an absolute necessity in terms of the competitiveness of assets,” said Danuta Grzywacz, Country Head of Poland at Westbridge.
New restaurant concepts in Centrum Praskie Koneser
The largest revitalized mixed-use investment in Warsaw, Centrum Praskie Koneser, managed by the Liebrecht & wooD group, has enhanced its culinary offerings. Zabawa restaurant music club and vegetarian restaurant Freya Bistro.
“Centrum Praskie Koneser not only attracts new, unique gastronomic concepts but also demonstrates itself as an excellent space for expanding the operations of current tenants,” says Magdalena Bartkiewicz-Podoba, CEO of Liebrecht & wooD in Poland.
CBRE appoints head of occupier sustainability in Europe
CBRE has announced that Sustainability leader, David Maguire, has been appointed Head of Occupier Sustainability & ESG, Continental Europe. In this new role, David will be responsible for leading CBRE’s Sustainability services offering for its occupier clients across Continental Europe. He will focus on expanding the suite of services the company delivers, to address the rapidly developing Sustainability and ESG needs of corporate real estate.
