Demand for offices in Poland remains high, but there is the least amount of space under construction in over a dozen years. The office real estate market is changing more and more, says Walter Herz. 

TriGranit and Revetas Capital have officially obtained the occupancy permit for the second phase of the Millennium Gardens office complex. The two phases offer 37,000 sqm of office and retail space in the vicinity of the river Danube. 

Zeitgeist Asset Management has obtained tenants for their building in the historical centre of Prague. The international law firm CMS and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have rented office space in the newly renovated Palác Dunaj building on Národní třída in Prague.

The AFI City 1 office building in Prague´s Vysočany has reached full occupancy with the arrival of new tenants. Logistic company Hegelmann Transporte is planning to relocate its domestic headquarters here.

Real estate development is a long-term venture where the end results (including profitability) are often unpredictable, especially in the current challenging global environment. Property Forum talked to Norbert Schőmer MRICS, Country Director at Atenor Hungary and the recently appointed Chairman of RICS in Hungary, covering the topics of ESG, changes in the office market, affordable housing and education, among others. He also provided an update on Atenor’s ongoing projects in Hungary and shared his priorities as RICS Chairman.

Ultimately, more than 10 MW of green energy from photovoltaic farms will power Warsaw UNIT, an office building developed and owned by Ghelamco. It is the first skyscraper in Poland entirely powered by green energy. Funding for the innovative remote farm project was provided by ESCOlight, and the contractor is Revolt Energy, part of the Blachotrapez Group.

CTP has signed a lease agreement with Heimstaden, the provider of rental housing in the Czech Republic, for almost 3,500 sqm of office space at IQ Ostrava. 

Lion’s Head Investments, the commercial real estate investor owned by Old Mutual Property and AG Capital, has secured €150 million in fresh funding from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group.

Swedish property developer Skanska has developed an offer to tenants consisting of services to support them in creating sustainable workplaces and non-financial reporting.

Jarosław Fiutowski, Member of the Board responsible for ESG strategy and innovation at Ghelamco Poland, talked to Property Forum about the renewable energy in office buildings,  the awareness of ESG issues among tenants and the related stance of Western investment funds.