The total stock of retail parks in Poland totals 1 million sqm GLA (approximately 90 commercial facilities). The 250,000 sqm GLA of retail parks are located in cities of up to 100,000 inhabitants. Retail parks play the role of everyday shopping centres in the small cities. The volume of transactions of retail parks in the cities from 2010 to 2015 amounted to EUR 82 million. It constitutes 30% of the general number of retail project transactions in these locations – according to the report “Small cities, big shopping?” which was created in cooperation of international advisory company Colliers International and global research company GfK.

According to Cushman & Wakefield, strong investment activity in the core Central European markets of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania continued in the first quarter of 2016, with EUR 1.4 billion invested. The slight decrease in transaction volume of 5% compared to the corresponding period of 2015 was smaller than the 14% fall recorded for Europe overall. Q1 activity was also above the long-run average of EUR 1.2 billion since 2007.

Prologis announced that it has signed lease agreements with Arvato Polska for 30,835 square metres at Prologis Park Błonie. The transactions include a lease renewal for 22,510 square metres and a new lease for 8,325 square metres of additional distribution space.

RICS organised its first annual conference in Bratislava, Slovakia on 5 May. The half-day event focused on the role of international standards in emerging markets and on the Slovakian property market itself.

Cushman & Wakefield announced that now it is the property manager of Union Investment’s two retail properties in Poland: Sarni Stok and Ferio Konin shopping centres.

TriGranit has started its first year backed with a new owner, TPG Real Estate. In Q1 2016, new leases and renewal agreements reached 25,777 sqm GLA, the average occupancy rate is over 95% in TriGranit managed assets and the company has 20,000 sqm GLA office development in progress. Due to the strong performance of the BPO sector in the region, the company plans further office developments in the near future in each of its core countries: Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. 

Flow East, the Anglo-Czech property owner and heritage campaigner announced that it has signed two new leasing agreements with Modrá pyramida stavební spořitelna and AON Central and Eastern Europe resulting in the 100% occupancy of its 13-building central Prague office portfolio.

Prologis announced that it has signed a lease agreement with Bonami, a Czech e-commerce homewares retailer, for 5,795 square metres at Prologis Park Prague-Airport DC1. The transaction was facilitated by 108 Agency.

According to Colliers International's latest market research the Croatian real estate market experienced several significant investments in the retail, office and hotel and hospitality sectors in 2015. While the retail and office segments are experiencing upward pressure on rental prices, the industrial market, despite being the least developed sector, saw increased activity.

More and more cities around the world are rediscovering the potential that lies in their waterfronts. Transforming old and dysfunctional industrial zones into lively areas with mixed uses has been trending for many years now and the Serbian capital has one of the most ambitious waterfront plans in the world. When new first broke about Belgrade Waterfront in the middle of the financial crisis few believed that the ambitious plans of Abu Dhabi-based developer, Eagle Hills would ever materialise. In 2016 however the wheels of the 1.8-million-square-metre megaproject are already set in motion, completely transforming the Serbian capital. Nikola Nedeljkovic, General Manager of Belgrade Waterfront talked to us about the 3-billion-euro development.