Tag: award

Junta Awards Plot for Construction of 88 Social Housing Properties in Córdoba

20 March 2018 – Diario Córdoba

The Junta de Andalucía has awarded one of the two plots of residential land in Córdoba destined for protected housing that were included in the most recent offer for the sale of real estate assets by the Agency for Housing and Rehabilitation in Andalucía (AVRA), which will enable the construction of 88 social housing properties in the O-3 Residential Sector of the provincial capital. The plot, measuring 4,656 m2 and with a buildable surface area of 9,462 m2 over the ground floor and six storeys, has been awarded for €1,687,103, according to reports from the Junta itself in a press release.

The sale of this plot comes in addition to the sales that the Agency has been formalising in Córdoba over the last three years, where it has managed to dispose of 11 units of residential land in the O-3 sector, for a price of €11.3 million, with capacity for the construction of 710 protected homes, some of which are going to be promoted by private companies and others by municipal initiatives.

The total number of protected plots sold in Córdoba since 2015, including the plot that has just been awarded, now amounts to 12 plots for the construction of 798 homes, with a combined surface area of 54,817 m2. These plots have been awarded for €13 million in total.

The regional delegate for the Ministry of Housing and Development, Josefina Vioque, said that “sales of regional plots of land were reactivated at the beginning of the legislature after the Ministry decided to recover this activity as a strategic axis in the management of its public assets”.

Original story: Diario Córdoba 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Cerberus & Lindorff Compete for Bankia-BMN’s RE Business

14 February 2018 – Real Estate Press

Bankia has started talks with Haya Real Estate (Cerberus) and Aktua (Lindorff) to award the management of all of the real estate assets that it has incorporated into its portfolio following its merger with BMN (…), according to sources in the know. Bankia has been working with Haya since 2013 and BMN with Aktua, the former real estate arm of Banesto, since 2014.

The same financial sources indicate that Bankia is now in a stronger position to improve the conditions of its contract in light of the good times being enjoyed in the real estate sector. Although the technological integration of the two entities will not take place until 19 March, the authorities already approved the merger at the end of December.

In 2013, the entity chaired by José Ignacio Goirigolzarri awarded the business to manage and sell around €12.2 billion gross in real estate assets to Cerberus. That agreement comes to an end at the beginning of 2023. Haya Real Estate, the Spanish subsidiary of the US fund Cerberus, has become a major player in the real estate market in recent years. It manages debt and assets worth almost €40 billion and has engaged Rothschild to handle its upcoming stock market debut later this year. It also holds agreements with Sareb, BBVA, Cajamar and Liberbank.

In its failed attempt to go public, BMN got rid of its property manager Inmare in 2014 to focus on the traditional business. It then signed a 10-year agreement with Aktua.

Subsequently, the Norwegian fund Lindorff purchased Aktua in 2016. That company also manages the real estate assets of Ibercaja, amongst other entities.

Cerberus and Lindorff are re-enacting the battle fought last summer. Then, the funds were bidding to acquire the real estate subsidiary of Liberbank, Mihabitans. In the end, the US won those negotiations and was awarded the contract to manage Liberbank’s foreclosed assets for the next seven years.

Original story: Real Estate Press

Translation: Carmel Drake

Larrain & Loiola Gestión Buy Illunbe Leisure Complex For €17.1M

22 November 2016 – Noticias de Gipuzkoa

The exiting Illunbe leisure complex (in Donostia) will soon be demolished and a new shopping centre, called El Mirador de Illunbe, will be constructed in its place. The aim of the property developers Larrain SL (which forms part of the Moyua Group) and Loiola Gestión Inmobiliaria (owned by Altuna y Uria), to whom the Town Hall of Donostia has awarded the sale of the leisure complex for €17.1 million, is to create a modern “first rate” shopping centre, in a prime location in the city, with views overlooking the sea. To achieve this, the developers will invest a total of €80 million over the next two years (including the aforementioned purchase price of €17.1 million and another €5.5 million to improve access to the site, as required by the Town Hall), in addition to €30 million that the future tenants may invest. The new Illunbe centre is expected to open its doors in time for Christmas 2018.

Although the sale still needs to be formalised (the municipal Government plans to approve and sign the deal soon), the JV (UTE or Unión Temporal de Empresas) formed by Larrain and Loiola Gestión Inmobiliaria was the only group to present an offer and the municipal services team has given their bid the green light. For this reason, the developers have spent the last few weeks marketing the property and making contact with potential tenants; and they admit that the proposal has received significant interest.

The new retail and leisure space will comprise three buildings. Two will be completely new and will be located to the south of the bullring: one will house a 3,000 m2 supermarket and the other will be home to a four-star hotel, with around 75 rooms. The third building will be the star attraction and will be constructed on the land that currently houses the existing property, which will be completely demolished (only the two underground parking floors will be maintained, and another similar floor will be added). Above ground, there will be four new floors and 30,000 m2 of space dedicated to retail and leisure, with a glass façade overlooking Donostia and the sea. “Instead of turning its back on the city, the new centre will look it in the eye”, said Juan Merino from Idea Real Estate, the company that is marketing the new premises at Illunbe on behalf of the property developers Larrain and Loiola Gestión Inmobiliaria. (…).

Original story: Noticias de Gipuzkoa (by Arantzazu Zabaleta)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Villar Mir & IE To Sign An Agreement For Fifth Tower

26 January 2016 – El Confidencial

Nine months after winning the bid arranged by the Town Hall of Madrid to construct a skyscraper in the capital’s new financial district, Grupo Villar Mir has reached an agreement with Instituto de Empresa (IE) to allow the business school to occupy the majority of the building.

El Confidencial has confirmed with several sources close to the negotiations that the two parties expect to sign an agreement this week. And that signature will signal the starting gun for Madrid’s new skyline, as well as ensuring the viability of the project after several months of uncertainty.

The future picture of the five skyscrapers underwent some serious difficulties last summer when the initial candidate proposed by Grupo Villar Mir, the prestigious Mount Sinai hospital group, decided not to go ahead with its plans to open a health centre in the fifth tower.

In fact, the owner of OHL was awarded the land on the basis of the proposal that it would house a private hospital, with recreation and retail service areas. The plans were presented together with a letter of intent from Mount Sinai, saying that it would occupy the fifth tower, but that ended up being worthless.

Following the exit of the US group, Villar Mir began making contact with several real estate consultancy firms to find a new tenant that would comply with the requirements imposed by the town hall, namely that the property must be used for health or education purposes. Those conversations have ended up with the proposed agreement with the IE Business School.

The prestigious centre, whose MBA has just been chosen as the 12th best in the world and the best in Spain according to the Financial Times, is continuously looking for spaces to expand its educational offering. As such, it is now the neighbour with the most properties in the prestigious neighbourhood of Salamanca, which is home to its different centres, above all, around Calle María de Molina.

With the move to the fifth tower, the educational empire controlled by Diego del Alcázar would expand its classrooms beyond its traditional area of operation, but would maintain its policy of operating within Madrid and in the most representative areas for the business world.

75 year concession

The fifth tower is expected to be completed within four years, by 2020. It is an ambitious plan, which Grupo Villar Mir will tackle in partnership with the Swiss fund Corestate. The two partners have created the company Iberian Corestate, whose first operation will involve the investment of €240 million in the new skyscraper.

On the basis of the original design that won the bid, the new building will have 52,500 m2 of public space and 17,500 m2 of retail space. It will be constructed on land that will continue to be owned by the town hall, but which will be operated by Grupo Villar Mir for the next 75 years.

The group was awarded this concession after committing to pay a fee of €4 million per year to the town hall for the duration of the concession period, a figure that is much higher than the €1.9 million bid starting price.

Original story: El Confidencial (by Ruth Ugalde)

Translation: Carmel Drake