Gorbea Puts FCC’s HQ on the Market for €150M

30 November 2017 – El Confidencial

The headquarters of FCC, located in the Madrilenian neighbourhood of Las Tablas is on the verging of changing hands. Its owner, Gorbea Arrendamientos, has decided to cash in its holding and, to this end, has engaged CBRE to launch an express sale process. The intention is to choose a winner before the end of the year. Sources at the consultancy firm declined to comment.

This operation is set to be the most important of the year in the office segment, since the vendor aims to close the sale for around €150 million, according to market sources. That amount has not been reached so far by any of the other office transactions closed in 2017.

Gorbea Arrendamientos is owned by the Hernández-Beitia family, which acquired the land where the headquarters of the company controlled by Carlos Slim is now located for €80 million from FCC seven years ago.

Then, the infrastructure group signed a 20-year lease contract, of which almost 13 years still remain. Specifically, this rental commitment is the main feature of the operation, given that it guarantees the future buyer a stable income in one of the fastest growing areas of Madrid.

When Gorbea acquired FCC’s headquarters, a return of 7% was estimated on the basis of the rental contract. However, the new buyer will see that yield decrease to around 3%-4%. That range that makes this purchase a classic operation for conservative investors, such as insurance companies and pension funds.

Cinematographic fortune

The Gorbeas, as the family behind this real estate group is popularly known, amassed their real estate portfolio as owners of important cinemas in Madrid, including Roxy B on c/Fuencarral, Lido on c/Bravo Murillo and Renoir on c/Narváez. From there, they leapt into the office segment, where they are known for naming many of the buildings they own after their parent company, Gorbea.

Despite the box office crisis that caused so many cinemas to close, this family group still owns several subsidiaries linked to the world of cinema, such as Cines Floridablanca, Cines Retiro and Cines Princesa, in the centre of Madrid, as well as several multiplex companies in Majadahonda, Zaragoza and Guadalajara.

Construction of FCC’s headquarters, which cost €48 million to build, was completed five years ago and, since then, the building has housed more than 1,000 employees from the infrastructure group.

The building has a surface area of 21,000 m2, spread over 3 inter-connected buildings, which occupy an entire block and form an H-shape. They have two basement floors and a ground floor, with capacity for 400 parking spaces, as well as six office floors and a rooftop.

Original story: El Confidencial (by Ruth Ugalde)

Translation: Carmel Drake