With the sale of its 51% holding in the Aerozone logistics park to M7 CEREF I in Budapest, CA Immo has completed the strategic withdrawal from the logistics segment that began in 2012. Over the past few years, almost 500,000 sqm of logistical space in total has been sold in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Germany.
CA Immo held a 51% stake in the recently sold Aerozone logistics park in Budapest, which spans approximately 65,000 sqm, through a joint venture with Union Investment Real Estate. The buyer of the logistical property was M7 CEREF I, an M7 managed fund. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price, which is understood to be in the mid-double-digit millions; closing has been confirmed. Law firm CHSH advised the seller in the sale of the Aerozone logistics park.
Photo: MTI / H. Szabó Sándor
According to Frank Nickel, CEO of CA Immo, “We have sold our logistics portfolio to underpin profitable growth in our core business of offices. At the same time we are reducing minority holdings with a view to raising the efficiency of our portfolio management. This largely concludes our programme of non-core sales, which has been in progress since 2012. Alongside logistics, the programme covers the residential segment, smaller office buildings and properties outside of our core cities with a total market value of approximately €1 bn.”
CA Immo is investing the revenue from non-strategic sales in expansion, and particularly the construction of new, modern office properties in Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt.
With the acquisition of 49% minority holdings in one office building in Prague and another in Budapest (finalised in January 2016), the Aerozone logistics park in Budapest became the last remaining property in the C1 portfolio held with joint venture partner Union. The joint venture launched in 2005 was disbanded with the closing of this transaction.
The buyer of the Aerozone logistics park, M7 Real Estate entered the Hungarian market at the end of last year when its CEREF I fund acquired a real estate portfolio from Recovery Zrt., the asset management company for CIB Bank in Hungary. The portfolio consists of two retail centres, the Atom Center in Paks and Csillagvár in Budapest, and the Acélforma industrial hall in Dunaharaszti.
Expur has leased 940 sqm for its new offices in Business Garden Bucharest, owned by Vastint Romania. The deal was brokered by Fortim Trusted Advisors, a member of the BNP Paribas Real Estate Alliance.
GTX Romania has leased 2,700 sqm in VLParks Bucharest West, in a deal brokered by iO Partners.
Vitalaire Romania, a subsidiary of the Air Liquide Group, has relocated its offices to Bucharest-based One Cotroceni Park, in a deal brokered by iO Partners.
New appointments
Artur Apostoł joins Griffin Capital Partners as Co-Managing Partner to lead the company’s real estate activities together with Marek Obuchowicz, who has been promoted to Co-Managing Partner. Artur and Marek are taking over responsibilities from Piotr Fijołek, who transitions from an active role and will continue supporting the firm as Senior Advisor. These appointments mark the completion of a leadership transformation aligned with the company’s dynamic growth and long-term strategy.
CBRE Hungary has named Anna Zhang as Business Development Manager, while Antoine Fromental takes on the role of Hotel Investment Analyst. Zhang is tasked with developing partnerships with Far Eastern clients and strengthening business relations in CEE markets. She previously served on the PwC Hungary China Desk team. Fromental joins the firm after roles at B&B Hotels and Cushman & Wakefield, where he contributed to various European hotel development, valuation, and market research projects.
Garbe has named Zuzana Štěpánková as Business Development Manager in the Czech Republic. She has previously worked at iO Partners as Senior Consultant.
Goldbach Group has entered a strategic partnership with Hubix, a Romanian investment and management company, securing over €5.3 million to develop four new retail parks under the K2 brand. The partnership combines Goldbach Group's retail park development expertise with Hubix's financing structuring capabilities and private capital attraction through its established investors' community.
Hagag has diversified its operations in Romania by entering the energy sector through the acquisition of BTD Distribuție și Furnizare, a Romanian company specialising in natural gas infrastructure development, distribution, and supply.
Fortress Logistics Real Estate has acquired a logistics facility in Wrocław, Poland, strengthening its position in the regional industrial real estate market.
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