PGGM Private Real Estate and Redevco, one of Europe’s leading retail real estate investment managers have launched Urban Retail Ventures, a €550 million European commercial real estate joint venture. Urban Retail Ventures will invest in the most favourable shopping and leisure destinations in Europe, focusing on cities that are winning the battle as quality retail locations.

Majority shareholder Lone Star (LSREF III GTC Investments B.V.) has informed developer Globe Trade Center (GTC) that it is considering the sale of entire 61.1 percent stake in the company. Lone Star appointed J.P.Morgan and UBS to assist them in this strategic review.

CPI Property Group announced the acquisition of Futurum Hradec Kralove Shopping Centre from Meyer Bergman, a privately held real estate investment management firm.

Union Investment has acquired the Park Inn by Radisson Krakow, which opened in 2009. The transfer of rights and obligations with regard to the property is scheduled to take place by the end of May 2018. The 152-room hotel is located south of the Vistula river, close to the city centre and in the immediate vicinity of the modern ICE Congress Centre, where around 200 events are held every year. The vendor is a joint venture between subsidiaries of UBM Development AG and Lindorcenia Ltd. The Radisson Hotel Group manages the hotel and provides the brand name. The hotel is let on a long-term lease. The purchase price is approximately €26 million. Union Investment is acquiring the property for an institutional real estate fund.

The Focus Estate Fund has acquired Park Handlowy Eden (Galeria Eden), Zgorzelec (Poland). Focus intends to invest more than €1.5 million in repositioning the 8,500 sqm retail centre with the support of its partner in development and leasing, Młyn Retail Parks Sp. z o.o.

One United Properties and Auchan Romania plan to invest €100 million in a new mixed-use project in Bucharest called One Floreasca City.

Savills has set up China Desk, a special section within its Warsaw-based Corporate Finance & Valuation department, dedicated to Chinese investors interested in the Polish commercial real estate market.

Skanska has sold the Green2Day building in Wroclaw, Poland, to the real estate fund manager Niam. It is the developer’s fifth office project in the city with its sixth – Nowy Targ – currently under construction.

Last week an affiliate of U.S. private equity firm Starwood Capital Group (SOF-11 Starlight 10 EUR) announced that it intends to make a voluntary partial public takeover offer for the acquisition of up to 5% in Immofinanz. The Executive Board of Immofinanz determined that the offer price is too low.

Immofinanz has sold the Brno Business Park office buildings via a share deal to Infond investment fund. The transaction was closed on March 9, 2018. bpv Braun Partners advised Immofinanz on the sale. Infond has been advised by Hladky Legal, Knight Frank and Redbaenk.