Altamira Sells New Office Building In 22@ District To Family Office

1 February 2017 – Real Estate Press

BNP Paribas Real Estate has advised a Catalan family office on the purchase of a new office building located on Avenida Diagonal, 131 in Barcelona.

The property, which has a surface area of 3,150 m2 and 36 parking spaces, has been acquired from the real estate arm of the Santander Group, Altamira Asset Management, market leader in the sale of properties and in the valuation and construction of real estate developments.

The new building has been built in accordance with the highest quality requirements and has received an “A” energy rating, making it the only building with these characteristics in the 22@ district, the area marketed as the continuation of Barcelona’s Prime area. The family office behind this purchase will now put this new office building up for rent; it will make an ideal corporate headquarters in the Catalan capital.

This operation is further proof that the office market is experiencing one of its busiest periods since the start of the crisis. The purchase of newly constructed office buildings for rent is establishing itself as one of the preferred options for investors. This activity is expected to evolve continuously during 2017.

In addition to this deal, BNP Paribas Real Estate advised numerous high profile transactions during 2016, including several in the Catalan office investment market, such as the sales of the Gran Vía, 583 and Pere IV, 289 office buildings.

Original story: Real Estate Press

Translation: Carmel Drake

Inbisa To Renovate Alta Diagonal Building In Barcelona

28 July 2016 – Mis Oficinas

Inbisa, through its construction company BYCO, has been awarded the tender to renovate the urbanisation of the Alta Diagonal building, located on Avenida Diagonal in Barcelona. This office complex belongs to Deka Immobilien, a German investment fund, whose history spans more than 40 years, specialising in real estate assets, managing 293 properties in 23 countries.

This renovation, which will be performed on a surface area covering 2,000 sqm, completes a series of improvements and refurbishments that Deka Immobilien has performed on the building and its surrounding area, with the aim of strengthening its position in the prime office market in Barcelona. To that end, it is going to renovate the quality of the materials in the property, to bring the urbanisation into line with the rest of the complex.

“The construction work is going to be carried out within a short timeframe of 2 months, taking advantage of a quiet period for the property. The work will cover a surface area of 2,000 sqm, whereby completing the renovation work already carried out at the entrances and on the façade, as well as in the private and public urbanisation to the rear, in Avenida Sarrià”, said the Heads of Inbisa.

Original story: Mis Oficinas

Translation: Carmel Drake

A Revamp Of Avenida Diagonal Would Boost RE Inv’t

4 August 2016 – Mis Locales

With the debate raging over whether or not to reform Avenida Diagonal, between Paseo de Gracia and La Plaza de las Glorias, real estate investments are firmly under the spotlight. Following the approval of the proposal by the municipal council, planned for next summer, at a cost of around €11 million, the door has been opened to the extension of the prime area, currently centred around the commercial thoroughfares of Rambla de Catalunya and Paseo de Gracia, to other areas of the city centre.

The renovation includes increasing the width of the pavements by up to 40%, moving the tramlines to the middle of the avenue and restricting private traffic to just two lanes in each direction. Those are the main changes of the reform, which would generate 1,000 new jobs, 500 direct and another 500 indirect.

“The renovation of La Diagonal would turn it into one of the state of the art thoroughfares not just in Spain, but in Europe. Moreover, it would generate lots of business opportunities for an area that has historically been regarded as a transit route”, said Gerard Marcet, Founding Partner at Laborde Marcet. The renovation would give priority to citizens and would boost businesses in the area. On the stretch between Paseo de Gracia and Paseo San Juan alone, 100 premises are either vacant or in a precarious situation, which could see their fortunes turned around thanks to this refurbishment.

The project has been prepared on the basis of the city’s urban mobility plan, which forecasts a 20% reduction in private traffic by 2018, which would allow the space designated for bicycles and pedestrians to be increased, and the stretch of La Diagonal between Paseo de Gracia and La Plaza de las Glorias to be converted into a pedestrianized area. (…)

“Investing in La Diagonal means attracting investment and businesses from all over the world, as well as to another main focal point: Diagonal Mar”, said Marcet. The main commercial focus of attraction in the 22@ district has a surface area of 88,000 sqm, contains 200 shops, 40,000 employees and more than 4,800 parking spaces.

Companies such as Sara Lee, ADP, Henkel Ibérica, ISDIN, RBA, Microsoft Ibérica, Telefónica, Indra and Sanofi are some of the companies that are already located in the area.

Original story: Mis Locales

Translation: Carmel Drake

The PSC Sells Its HQ In Barcelona For €10M

8 June 2016 – 20 Minutos

The PSC has sold its historic headquarters, on Calle Nicaragua in Barcelona, for €10 million to a company linked to the real estate sector, according to sources.

The political party signed the “contrato de arras” on Monday 6 June and now has eight months to vacate the property.

The building on Calle Nicaragua has a surface area of more than 4,700 sqm, spread over six floors, one of which comprises a 400 sqm parking lot. It has been on the market for more than a year: the socialist party evaluated up to three offers during that period before closing the deal.

The Catalan socialists have occupied the property for more than 40 years and have sold it in order to pay off some of the €12 million debt that is weighing down on the party.

Through this operation, the PSC joins CDC and Unió, which have also put their respective headquarters up for sale recently: the CDC managed to sell its building on Calle Còrcega in Barcelona a year ago and Unió is currently considering offers from potential buyers for its head office.

The search for a new space

The PSC is now looking for a new, smaller headquarters, measuring around 1,500 sqm, and is willing to rent or purchase a property in order to find an office that best suits its needs.

It is currently evaluating three options in the 22@ district of Barcelona, although it also has other options on the table in the Zona Franca area.

The PSC would like for its new headquarters to be located below (to the south of) Avenida Diagonal in Barcelona and for its price to be affordable.

Original story: 20 Minutos

Translation: Carmel Drake