industrial Market News: Spanish Real Estate Intelligence

18 July 2018 - Expansión

Blackstone has purchased the Socimi Lar España’s logistics portfolio, comprising five warehouses and a plot of land for development, for €119.7 million. That sum represents an appreciation of 83% with respect to the purchase price of €65.6 million.

Specifically, four of the warehouses acquired are located in Alovera (Guadalajara), one is located on the Juan Carlos I Industrial Park in Almussafes (Valencia), whilst the land to be developed for logistics use is located in Cheste (Valencia).

The five logistics warehouses span a combined surface area of 162,000 m2 and have an occupancy rate of 100% - all of them have stable rental contracts. Meanwhile, the surface area in Cheste spans 182,000 m2.

The warehouses in Alovera were acquired between August 2014 and May 2015 and the property in Almussafes was purchased in May 2015. The advisors to Lar España on the operation have been CBRE, Pérez Llorca and Hill International.

Asset rotation

This operation forms part of the asset rotation process that the company launched last year. Specifically, the Socimi’s first divestment came in September 2017, with the sale of an office building in Arturo Soria, and since then, it has carried out two other sales.

Together, the divestments carried out by Lar España to date amount to €265 million, more than half the €470 million in divestments forecast in the business plan to 2021.

The President of Lar España, José Luis del Valle, said that the company’s plan involves selling those assets that are not strategic to focus on the retail portfolio.

In addition to the asset sales, the company’s business plan involves investing €220 million in shopping centres and retail parks. Within the context of that plan, Lar purchased the Rivas Futura shopping centre for €62 million and the Abadía shopping arcade for €14 million.

In parallel, the Socimi plans to invest €247 million in commercial developments and €49 million to improve its retail assets.

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

12 July 2018 - Press Release

SEGRO, the British investment fund specialising in the industrial and logistics real estate sector, is consolidating its position in Spain with the development of an additional constructed surface area of 36,000 m2 for distribution activities in Getafe, Madrid. Specifically, the 6-hectare plot is located in the "Puerta Mayor-Los Gavilanes" Business and Logistics Park, a strategic area where SEGRO already has another project under construction.

Through this operation, SEGRO is continuing to pursue its aim of becoming one of the main players in the logistics-real estate sector in Spain, where it has a total portfolio of 340,000 m2 comprising buildings and land for latest generation logistics and distribution activities. The firm is committed to high-quality facilities and locations.

SEGRO’s commitment to developing projects located in privileged areas is furthered with this new plot located just 14km to the south-east of Madrid, on the A-4 (Madrid-Andalucía) motorway and with direct access to the M-50. This enclave has a total surface area of 1,700,000 m2 and is one of the most modern external urbanisations around with 500,000 m2 of green space. It facilitates distribution in the capital, as well as to other parts of the country. Moreover, several multinational companies are located in the same area, including Amazon, Decathlon, CostCo and Coca Cola, reinforcing its position as a strategic enclave.

Flexibility is one of the defining characteristics of SEGRO, and for this reason, this new distribution centre may be adapted to the needs of its clients in order to ensure the fulfilment of their logistics needs. The project is going to be built in accordance with the latest environmental standards and with the aim of obtaining the BREEAM “Very Good” certificate, in line with SEGRO’s strategy to build modern, high-quality and flexible buildings.

Meanwhile, the firm’s first platform, measuring 47,000 m2, located in the same business park in Getafe, is in the final phase of construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018 (…).

SEGRO is now one of the largest logistics and distribution real estate firms in Spain and around Europe. It works on new build projects, as well as on the reconversion of existing industrial facilities.

Original story: Press Release

Translation: Carmel Drake