Tag: Azca

Madrid City Council and Merlin Properties to Renovate Area Around Azca

10 July 2019 – Richard D. K. Turner

The Madrid City Council signed a public-private partnership agreement with Merlin Properties to renovate the public areas surrounding its building located at the Plaza Ruiz Picasso in Azca.

The agreement includes a budget of more than two million euros, which will be fully executed by Merlin Properties under the City Council’s guidelines. Such renovations include improvements to mobility and accessibility and upgrades to the plaza, like adding trees and gardens. Simultaneously, the socimi will conduct an extensive refurbishment of the building itself.

Original Story: Europa Press

 

Spain’s Largest Landlords are Merlin, Colonial, GMP & Mapfre

19 April 2019 – Expansión

Merlin, Colonial, GMP and Mapfre: three Socimis and one insurance company together own 16% of the total office space in Madrid. Blackstone, Realia, Mutua Madrileña, Tristan, Pontegadea and Starwood complete the Top 10 ranking.

According to a report from Deloitte, the ten largest landlords own more than 3.1 million m2 of leasable space in Madrid, out of a total spanning more than 13 million m2 (24%). In Barcelona, there is 6.1 million m2 of leasable space.

Leading the ranking is Merlin, which owns 7% of the total stock in Madrid and more than 3% in Barcelona. Its 140-strong office portfolio is worth €5.5 billion and accounts for 45% of its total assets. The Socimi’s tenants include BBVA, Endesa, Inditex and PwC, and its star assets include Torre PwC in Madrid and Torre Glòries in Barcelona.

Behind Merlin is Colonial, which owns 3.8% of the office stock in Madrid and 4.6% in Barcelona (where it is the market leader). Its key assets include the building located on Paseo de la Castellana, 52, two properties on Calle Miguel Ángel (numbers 11 and 23), all in Madrid, and Torre Marenostrum in Barcelona.

Completing the podium is GMP, which owns 2.8% of the gross leasable area in Madrid, including Torre BBVA and Torre Ederra, both in Azca. Meanwhile, the insurance companies Mapfre and Mutua Madrileña own 2.7% and 1.4% of the total stock in the Spanish capital, respectively.

In addition, the funds have strengthened their positions in recent months. The US fund Starwood purchased a portfolio of offices in Madrid and Barcelona from Autonomy for €125 million. It also acquired the San Fernando Business Park, in conjunction with Drago, from Oaktree for €120 million.

The British fund Tristan has also been active, with the acquisition of an office complex on Avenida de Manoteras in 2017 and the purchase of six offices spanning 78,000 m2 from Colonial in 2018 (…).

Original story: Expansión (by R. Arroyo)

Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake

GMP Signs Spain’s First “Green” Loan with BBVA: €68M for Castellana 77

9 December 2018 – Eje Prime

The Spanish real estate sector has obtained its first green loan. Specifically, the Socimi GMP, controlled by the Montoro family, has signed a loan of that type with BBVA to finance the project to renovate Castellana 77, an office building in the Azca area. In total, the real estate company has received €68 million.

Specifically, the Socimi acquired the building from BBVA in 2015. GMP has recently completed work to renovate the property. The company’s commitment to obtain the loan has been established around the fact that the money will be used to promote sustainability, according to Expansión.

GMP, which has the Singapore sovereign fund (GIC) amongst its reference shareholders, has been working for a while to create a portfolio of sustainable buildings. 80% of its assets have the Leed stamp and, last June, one of the jewels in its crown, the former Torre BBVA, obtained the Well Oro certificate, becoming the first property in Spain to merit that distinction.

During the first half of 2018, the Socimi saw its profits soar by 81% to exceed €110 million. The company recorded revenues of €49.5 million between January and June, down by 0.8% compared to the same period in 2017.

Currently, GMP has a portfolio of sixteen assets, which sum a total of twenty-seven buildings and a gross leasable area (GLA) of 360,000 m2. All of them are located in Madrid, along with the 65,105 m2 of buildable space that the group owns, concentrated in the urban developments of Valdebebas and Las Tablas. The company’s portfolio of projects also includes a residential tourist development in Alicante, which is called Las Colinas Golf&Country Club.

Original story: Eje Prime 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Utopicus Opens its 4th Co-working Centre in Madrid

24 October 2018 – Expansión

Utopicus, the co-working platform owned by Colonial, has opened its fourth centre in Madrid, in the heart of the Azca financial district. The new office building, which has a surface area of 2,000 m2 spread over three floors, is located at number 62 Calle Orense.

This building is the fourth office that Utopicus has inaugurated in Madrid, after the opening of Duque de Rivas, Colegiata and Doctor Esquerdo, and the fifth in Spain, after the opening of its Plaza Cataluña space in Barcelona, located on Ronda Sant Pere, 16

The company has plans to operate 10 centres in Spain over the coming months with new openings in the pipeline in Madrid on Príncipe de Vergara and in Barcelona on Clementina, Gal·la Placidia, Gran Vía and Ciutat de Granada.

Original story: Expansión (by R. Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Dragados is Asking for c. €180M for 88,000 m2 Buildable Plot in Tetuán (Madrid)

6 August 2018 – El Confidencial

A new and powerful land operation is taking shape in the centre of the Spanish capital. The star is Dragados, one of the heavyweights in the construction sector in Spain. The subsidiary of ACS has been trying to sell several plots, which together span a buildable surface area of just over 80,000 m2, on Paseo de la Dirección in the Tetuán district in the north of Madrid and just 2 km from the Cuatro Torres, for almost a year. And this area has just received the green light from the Town Hall of Madrid, which approved a Partial Plan on Tuesday that will undoubtedly favour land transactions since it means the urban planning risk has disappeared.

According to the sources consulted, the plots have been on the market for a year, but the high price expectations of Dragados – which amount to around €180 million – have prevented the sale from being closed, until now. Large property developers, investment funds and family offices have all expressed their interest. The construction company is being advised by Colliers International, which declined to comment on the deal.

On the table is a real gem, given that the plots are all finalist, in other words, ready to be built on. Such assets are in very short supply inside the M-30. Specifically, the site comprises two plots for the construction of private housing and two other plots for the construction of social housing properties (VPPL) and mixed-use assets (offices and tertiary).

For the former, which have a buildability of around 40,000 m2, Dragados is asking for around €2,500/m2 (…), in other words, around €100 million, which would make it one of the largest land operations in the capital in recent months. “That price would mean selling the future homes at prices of around €5,000/m2, which is way above current market prices in the area”, say the same sources. House prices in the area amount to around €2,400/m2 – €3,000/m2, depending on the types of homes.

For the plots to be used for social housing and offices – which also have a buildability of approximately 40,000 0m2 – the vendor’s price expectations amount to around €80 million. Despite the boom in the capital, these figures exceed the prices that the potentially interested parties are willing to pay.

Ten years in the making

With the approval this Tuesday from the Town Hall of the new planning order for the area, it seems that finally, and after more than a decade, work is going to begin on this ambitious urban remodelling project. It will involve the construction of around 2,000 new homes, most of which will be protected in some way (VPPB and VPPL), including two rehousing buildings and several 25-storey towers. To put that into context, the Cuatro Torres have between 45 and 58 floors (…).

Historically, Paseo de la Dirección has been a downtrodden area in the north of Madrid with numerous substandard homes that would benefit greatly from the definitive launch of Madrid Nuevo Norte – formerly Operación Chamartín – just 2km away. What’s more, the site is very close to the capital’s financial district par excellence, Azca, as well as to Plaza Castilla, the hub for much of Madrid’s land transport network (…).

Original story: El Confidencial (by E. Sanz & R. Ugalde)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Spain’s Popular Party May Sell its HQ in Central Madrid for €60M

12 July 2018 – Eje Prime

The Popular Party could receive a handsome cash injection for the national headquarters that it renovated using dirty money. The sale of the building located in central Madrid could generate up to €60 million for the PP in the event that it decides to sell it.

As one of the candidates to take over the leadership of the party, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, explained recently in an interview with La Cope, many grassroots members have told her that, the national headquarters, located at number 13 Calle Genova, was “too big” and that she should “given some consideration” to this matter, according to Cinco Días.

The property is located in the most prime office area of Madrid, which runs from Recoletos to Azca, along Paseo de la Castellana. It is an asset that will spark interest amongst international funds, the most active players at the moment in the Spanish real estate sector, and family offices with significant resources looking to take advantage of the few office spaces that remain available in the area.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Merlin Invests €55M to Reposition its Assets in Azca (Madrid)

24 May 2018 – Expansión

Merlin has launched an ambitious renovation plan for two of its buildings located in the heart of Madrid’s financial district, the Azca complex, one of the capital’s most important commercial and business areas.

Specifically, the Socimi led by Ismael Clemente is going to invest €55 million to refurbish the building located at number 83 and 85 Paseo de la Castellana and another property located in Plaza Ruiz Picasso. The company plans to start the renovation work in 2020.

In the property located at numbers 83 and 85 Paseo de la Castellana, the company is planning a complete renovation of the façade and entrance lobby, which will have a triple height ceiling. Similarly, the refurbishment of the building will include the common areas and other installations.

This building, the current headquarters of Sacyr, has a surface area of 15,254 m2 spread over the ground floor, 11 above ground floors and two underground floors. The aim of the Socimi is to strengthen the space dedicated to retail.

Comprehensive renovation

The Socimi will invest €25 million in that renovation project, which will require almost the entire building to be vacated. “It is one of the best buildings in Madrid and we hope that it will be the doorway to the future reconfigured Azca that we are working on”, said Ismael Clemente, CEO of Merlin, speaking a few days ago at the General Shareholders’ Meeting. In addition, Merlin will invest €30 million to reposition the property in Plaza Ruiz Picasso and to create a building with “the most extensive and best-equipped floor space in all of Azca”.

That asset, which has a surface area of 31,576 m2, will have dual access, from Calle Trías Bertrán and Plaza Ruíz Picasso, and will contain various retail spaces. “This building is almost invisible at the moment but that situation will change after the renovation. The location is crying out for it”, said Clemente.

The director explained that the property has an “exceptional” parking provision for an office building, given that, initially, it was conceived as a shopping centre. Merlin is working with the Spanish architecture studio Fenwick Iribarren to renovate this building (…)

These two buildings owned by Merlin live alongside Torre Titania, the skyscraper owner by El Corte Inglés (…). Meanwhile, Castellana 81 and Torre Ederra, located at number 77 Paseo de la Castellana, are owned by the Socimi GMP; Torre Europe is controlled by Infinorsa; whilst Torre Picasso belongs to Pontegadea, the investment vehicle owned by Amancio Ortega (…).

The Landmark I Plan

The renovation of these two properties forms part of a larger project, the Landmark I Plan, which comprises a total investment of €250 million in office buildings over the next four years.

Within the framework of the Landmark I Plan, Merlin is going to handover Torre Glòries in Barcelona and Torre Chamartín. Over the next few years, the Socimi is also going to renovate the properties located at numbers 38 and 40 Calle Alcalá, Castellana 93, Alfonso XI and Princesa 5-7 in Madrid;  as well as Diagonal 605 in Barcelona; and Monumental and Marqués de Pombal 3 in Lisbon.

“Over the next 12 to 18 months, there is going to be more demand than supply in the market due to the volume of obsolete products. At that point, rents will enjoy a sweet moment, and will move significantly upwards”, say sources at the Socimi.

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Savills & Aguirre Newman Complete Their Merger

3 January 2018 – Eje Prime

Without any fuss whatsoever, Savills and Aguirre Newman ended the year by completing their merger. On the last working day of the year, the British company announced to the London Stock Exchange that it had finally signed the agreement to buy the Spanish real estate consultancy. The company, which announced its intention to acquire the Madrid-headquartered business through the same channel on 28 July 2017, will pay €67 million by way of consideration.

According to the document that proves the purchase of Aguirre Newman, the British consultancy firm paid €42 million at the time of the signing and will pay the remaining balance in instalments of €5 million over the next five years, to reach the €25 million agreed between the two parties.

In theory, Savills had planned to complete the purchase before 30 November, however, administrative setbacks delayed the signing. Nevertheless, the company said that all of the paperwork was completed before the end of 2017 (…).

The need of both groups to sign their merger before the end of the year was also an administrative priority, given that they wanted to start the new year afresh to operate under the brand, Savills Aguirre Newman, from the beginning of 2018. Moreover, this change will result in a significant number of changes to its operations in Spain. The first will see it move to a new headquarters in the financial heart of Madrid.

The Spanish subsidiary of Savills has set the wheels in motion to move its offices to one of the capital’s main skyscrapers. After lots of negotiations, the new consultancy firm will move into the Castellana 81 building, better known as the Torre BBVA. The company will lease 8,000 m2 of space after reserving six floors in the building from the Socimi GMP, which owns the asset.

Built in 1981, Torre BBVA is one of the symbols of the Azca financial district in the Spanish capital. GMP renovated the asset after buying it and, coincidently, Aguirre Newman, along with CBRE, were appointed to look for new tenants for the building. The consultancy firm plans to move into its new offices as soon as the integration of the two companies has been formalised.

In terms of the business of the two consultancy firms in Barcelona, sources in the Catalan capital indicate that it is very likely (although not definite) that the Savills staff located in the Catalan capital will move to the offices that Aguirre Newman has on La Diagonal in Barcelona, given their location and capacity.

Another matter still up in the air is the duplication of the entire organisational structure of both companies. Savills’ intention is to maintain the entire workforce, although it is more than certain that many of the directors will leave the company voluntarily, according to sources consulted by Eje Prime.

The Presidents of Aguirre Newman, Santiago Aguirre and Stephen Newman, and the President of Savills España, Rafael Merry del Val, will be appointed to the Board of Directors of the combined company, in the following roles: Santiago Aguirre, Chairman of the Board; Stephen Newman and Rafael Merry del Val, Executive Co-Vice-presidents.

The senior management team of Aguirre Newman and Savills España will retain and include José Navarro, current CEO of Savills España; Javier Echeverría, CEO of Aguirre Newman; Jaime Pascual-Sanchiz, Executive Director General of Aguirre Newman, and Ángel Serrano, Director General of the Business at Aguirre Newman. The office in Barcelona is going to be led by Anna Gener and Arturo Díaz, as the CEO of Savills Aguirre Newman and President of the group in Barcelona, respectively. The real headache for Savills Aguirre Newman will come with the next level of management, although those roles will not be assigned for several weeks yet (…).

Original story: Eje Prime (by Custodio Pareja)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Ryanair Opens its Digital Hub in Madrid’s Eurobuilding II

30 November 2017 – Expansión

Ryanair has arrived in Azca. The Irish low-cost airline has leased 2,000 m2  of space in the Eurobuilding II, located in the heart of the Spanish capital’s financial district for its largest technological hub.

“It is an ideal location in one of the largest technological cities, with highly qualified people; plus, it is home to some of the greatest technological innovators in Europe”, said sources at the airline.

Ryanair, which avoided specifying the amount that it will spend on the new offices, chose Spain for the launch of its third digital innovation centre – it has two others in Dublin and Wroclaw – back in May.

The project will result in the creation of 250 jobs – 50 people have already started – with the aim of streamlining the low-cost airline’s web and the app. Travel Labs Spain is looking for all kinds of profiles, from data engineers to developers to experts in social media.

In the new offices, Ryanair’s employees have rest areas with pool tables, table football and a Star Wars game.

Prime area

The building, located at number 69 Calle Orense, is located in the capital’s Central Business District.

According to data from the consultancy firm JLL, the average rent in the CBD of Madrid amounted to €30.75/m2/month at the end of the third quarter of the year. The owner of the Eurobuilding II is the Mutualidad General de la Abogacía, the pension fund of Madrid’s lawyers’ association, which had more than 194,000 members at the end of 2016 and more than €5.9 billion of resources under management.

The other tenant of the building, which is very close to Paseo de la Castellana, is the Vaughan Language School, which leases more than 4,500 m2 of space for teaching, with more than 95 classrooms.

The Eurobuilding II was acquired by the Mutualidad General de la Abogacía in 2003 for €30.9 million. According to the latest available appraisal report, the value of the property amounts to €43.8 million.

Original story: Expansión (by Y. Blanco and R. Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Auren Sells 3rd Floor Of Its HQ In Madrid For €10.5M

9 October 2017 – El Economista

The professional services firm Auren has sold one floor of its office building in Madrid to a Spanish foundation for €10.5 million, according to sources in the sector.

The headquarters of the consultancy firm is located in the Edificio Masters I building on Avenida General Perón, 38; Auren has operated from that multi-owner property for almost 20 years. When it first moved in, it acquired the third floor of the building and then went on to lease more space on two other floors, as the company continued to grow. Now that this asset is no longer strategic for the firm, it has opted to undertake a long-term sale & leaseback operation, which has been advised by Catella.

The transaction comprises one floor measuring 1,669 m2 and 16 parking spaces in the property, located in the Azca business district, which has established itself as a strategic enclave over the last few decades, above all for companies in the financial and technological sectors.

This operation, which has been closed at the high end of the market in terms of price per square metre, is another example of the good times that the office sector is enjoying. During the first nine months of this year, the office segment accounted for 24% of all real estate investment in Spain.

In this sense, Pablo Carvajal, Director of Capital Markets at Catella, highlights that “we are in an increasingly competitive market where it is hard to find quality assets for sale. That means that sale & leaseback operations, involving tenants of the calibre and solvency of Auren, in prime locations, are particularly attractive for investors looking for long-term stability”.

Auren is one of the largest multidisciplinary firms in Spain, with 51 offices in nine countries and more than 200 offices in 60 countries through Antea. The firm closed 2016 with a total turnover of €52.2 million, up by 4% compared to 2015. The company offers the following services: Audit, Legal & Tax Advice, Consultancy and Corporate and employs more than 1,500 people in the countries in which it has an international presence.

Original story: El Economista (by Alba Brualla)

Translation: Carmel Drake