Tag: commercial space

Savills: Spain willl have 260,524 m2 of New Innovative Commercial Space in 2019

3 June 2019 – La Vanguardia

According to the latest edition of the Retail Report Spain, compiled by Savills Aguirre Newman, Spain will see the addition of new innovative commercial space spanning 260,524 m2 this year, where 10 new shopping centres are going to be developed.

In addition, the real estate consultancy forecasts that shopping centres worth up to €2.5 billion could be put up for sale, including Intu’s portfolio comprising four shopping centres, which are worth c. €1 billion. The pipeline also includes other non-prime shopping centres and portfolios of supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Nevertheless, the report forecasts that investment levels in 2019 will be lower than in the previous two years, as many overseas investors, particularly those from the UK and USA, adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach to the Spanish market in light of the slow-down in the world economy and the boom in e-commerce.

In this way, demand is expected to focus on small convenience centres, particularly those linked to supermarkets, and prime and secondary retail parks that are not so affected by e-commerce.

Original story: La Vanguardia

Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake

Riu Hotels Wins a Small Victory Over Casanova in the Dispute Regarding Edificio España

1 March 2019 – El Español

A small victory (bringing the total to two) for Riu Hotels in the fight for ownership of the commercial space in Edificio España. The judge has dismissed the precautionary measures that the Baraka group, owned by the Murcian businessman Trinitario Casanova, requested to prevent the registration of the property in the name of the hotel group.

The magistrate has rejected the claim on the basis that there is no evidence, “in a clear and unequivocal way, of the relationship that must necessarily exist between what is claimed in the lawsuit and what is recorded in the Property Registry”. Specifically, Baraka requested that the inscription in the registry should include a note establishing the existence of a dispute over the ownership status.

The objective of that measure is to ensure that any possible investor in the commercial space knows that problems may arise in the future regarding the ownership. Nevertheless, the magistrate considers that the group owned by Trinitario Casanova has not proved its ownership of those spaces in the correct way.

Baraka is going to appeal

Specifically, and according to explanations provided by the group, there is a discrepancy between its lawyers and the judge because the lawsuit against the hotel firm was made directly by Baraka’s parent company, rather than by the company that the group used to purchase Edificio España (and which was subsequently transferred to its parent company ahead of the sale to Riu).

This is the second time that the courts have rejected Baraka’s requests, which in the opinion of Riu Hotels is good news. “We are continuing to work to open Hotel Riu Plaza España in the summer of 2019”, said the group in a statement to this newspaper.

The decision by the judge will be appealed by the Baraka group (…) and the Murcian group is convinced that it is in the right.

Original story: El Español (by Arturo Criado)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Riu Closes the Sale of Edificio España’s Commercial Space to Corpfin

1 February 2019 – Preferente.com

The 15,000 m2 of commercial space in Edificio España now has an owner. The party in question is Inbest Real Estate, the investment vehicle owned by Corpfin Capital Real Estate, which has signed a purchase agreement with the hotel chain Riu Hotels & Resorts, the owner of the property.

In a statement addressed to Preferente.com, the hotel chain explained that this agreement will enable the opening of five flagship stores for retail operators, including restaurant and textile firms, which will complement the opening of the new Hotel Riu Plaza España. “In that way, we will provide an even greater boost to the area through a tourist, leisure and commercial offer”, said the chain (…).

“We believe that having Corpfin Capital Real Estate as an ally to launch the retail space in Edificio España is the best way of getting the most out of the property”, said Luis Rui (pictured above, left), CEO of Riu Hotels & Resorts. Meanwhile, Javier Basagoiti (pictured above, right) Managing Partner of Corpfin Capital Real Estate, highlighted that their idea is “to choose the operators that best reflect the philosophy of the building, in coordination with Riu, respecting the hotel activity and configuring the premises towards the creation of flagship stores for first-rate operators” (…).

Original story: Preferente.com 

Translation: Carmel Drake

The Losantos Family Puts Neinver Up for Sale for €500M+

26 December 2018 – Cinco Días

One of the historical names of Spanish real estate, the Losantos family, is putting its real estate firm Neinver up for sale for more than €500 million. Neinver specialises in building and managing retail outlets and is the company that manages shopping centres such as The Style Outlets and the Factory. It has a presence in several countries.

The company, chaired by José María Losantos del Campo, has engaged the bank Credit Suisse to search for interested parties in this multi-national firm that started life in La Rioja, according to four financial and real estate sources familiar with the operation. The financial entity and the company declined to comment about this operation.

The founder of the company, born in 1936, started out in the sale and purchase of tinplate, together with his brother Mario, and later founded Neinver in 1969. Mario would go on to found Riofisa, one of the large real estate empires in Spain (…).

José María Losantos grew Neinver, which is now headquartered in Alcobendas (Madrid), specialising in turnkey projects, for example, in several wineries, and which has opted for shopping centres over the last two decades. His son, Daniel Losantos, serves as the firm’s CEO. The real estate company has, in turn, been controlled by the company Teckel Gestora since 2016, which also owns rural estates in Ciudad Real and which is owned by the patriarch of the family.

Neinver manages 600,000 m2 of commercial spaces, across almost 2,000 stores and in 15 outlet centres under the brand The Style Outlets and Factory, which span a commercial surface area of 300,000 m2.

The company has a joint venture to share ownership of some of these assets with TH Real Estate, the real estate arm of TIAA, the US teachers’ pension fund. Neinver controls a lot of these properties through 23 companies, according to reports from Insight View based on property registry data.

In addition to the centres in Spain, it owns assets together with TH Real Estate and other partners in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

In Spain, it owns The Style Outlets – which are dedicated to the off-season sale of well-known brands – in Las Rozas, San Sebastián de los Reyes and Getafe (all three in Madrid), A Coruña and Viladecans (Barcelona), as well as the Madrilenian shopping centres Alegra and Nassica.

This search for buyers entrusted to Credit Suisse comes at a critical moment for investment in the Spanish real estate market, which is featuring many international funds and Socimis. So far this year, until the middle of December, a record investment figure of €18.719 billion has been registered, according to CBRE, up by 45% compared to 2017, boosted above all by the acquisition of companies. In the case of retail, €4.279 billion has been invested to date this year.

Original story: Cinco Días (by Alfonso Simón Ruis & Pablo Martín Simón)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Baraka Triggers the Immediate Suspension of the Building Work at Edificio España

23 November 2018 – El Economista

The magistrate of the Court of First Instance nº 67 of Madrid has ruled that the building work on Edificio España in Madrid be suspended immediately due to the risk alleged by Baraka before that legal body.

Baraka, the company owned by the businessman Trinitario Casanova, filed a lawsuit before the courts of Madrid in August requesting the suspension of the building work on the hotel in Edificio España, in Madrid, which is now owned by the hotel chain Riu. The hotel firm purchased the iconic building in Plaza España from Baraka last year.

Baraka is claiming in the courts that the commercial premises inside the building, spanning 15,000 m2, belong to it and that Riu is refusing to sign across the deeds.

The hotel group Riu indicates that it has not yet received any notification to suspend its building work, according to sources speaking to El Economista. The hotel chain clarifies that Baraka does not have any contract with purchase rights or to register on public record the commercial space in Edificio España. Indeed, they note that at the time of Riu’s purchase of the building, Baraka signed “a non-representative mandate contract to search for investors for the commercial area, which it has failed to do”, despite repeated requests from the hotel chain.

The firm points out that a sales agreement has been reached with Corpfin Capital Real Estate for the commercial area, which was signed in September and which is on the verge of being executed. Riu is threatening to sue Baraka for damages and losses if the building work at Edificio España is affected. The hotel chain is going to invest between €380 million and €400 million in the project, including the purchase of the building (around €272 million) and its renovation.

The future hotel will be a four-star property and will have 589 rooms, 15 meeting rooms and almost 3,000 m2 for social and corporate events. The inauguration of the hotel is planned for September 2019 and the property will operate under the brand Riu Plaza.

Original story: El Economista (by Alba Brualla)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Hermes Acquires 3,345 m2 in Puerto Venecia & Prepares its Third Fund

10 July 2018 – Eje Prime

Hermes Properties is adding a new asset to its portfolio. The investment vehicle, which specialises in commercial projects, has purchased 3,345 m2 of the Puerto Venecia shopping centre, owned by Intu, which it will lease to the hamburger chain Carl’s Jr and to the service station chain Gasexpress.

With this purchase, Hermes has completed a €14 million investment across three operations, in the El Puente shopping centre in Rojales (Alicante); in commercial plots in Isla Azul, in Madrid; and this latest deal in Puerto Venecia, in Zaragoza.

The manager’s purchase in Madrid, of plots spanning a surface area of 4,000 m2, which used to be owned by Sareb, involved the disbursement of €4 million. The operations have been undertaken through Hermes’ second investment vehicle, Hermes II. The manager, owned by Delta Asesores and the consultancy firm InmoKing Real Estate, is now preparing a new program of investments to generate the vehicle Hermes III.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Equilis Invests €120M in a Commercial Complex in Esplugues

27 June 2018 – El Mundo

The Belgian real estate firm Equilis is finalising a new shopping centre in Esplugues de Llobregat, which is expected to be inaugurated in November; 90% of the stores in the complex have already been commercialised. The centre, which has received investment of €120 million and which has employed 1,000 people for its construction, will receive up to 8 million visitors per year and will create 500 more jobs once it begins operation, according to forecasts prepared by the company.

The macro-project from the company controlled by the Mestdagh family is a first step in its expansion in Spain, where it expects to begin six projects with a value of €750 million over the next few years, two of which will be in Cataluña, which will receive investment of €200 million – including Esplugues – and four in the rest of the country.

Finestrelles Shopping Center, as the commercial complex in Esplugues is known, is located in the Ca n’Oliveres sector, in the neighbourhood of Can Vidalet, on the plot that exists between Calles Laureà Miró and Sant Mateu. It will have two tunnels that will connect the space with Ronda de Dalt and la Avenida Diagonal.

The surface area of the complex will span 40,000 m2, distributed over five floors, two of which will be dedicated to parking and the rest for commercial use. The centre will contain 110 stores as well as a hall of residence for students with almost 375 beds and a hypermarket. “For the time being, there won’t be any cinemas, but we are not ruling that out”, said Víctor Gómez (pictured above), CEO of the company in Spain.

Original story: El Mundo 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Inmobiliaria Espacio & Gingko to Build 800 Homes & 1 Hotel in Málaga

1 February 2018 – El Economista

Inmobiliaria Espacio, part of Grupo Villar Mir, is entering the Malagan urban development of La Térmica with a bang, in partnership with Unicaja and together with the investment fund Ginkgo. The three actors are going to carry out a reconversion project in that industrial space, where they are going to build more than 800 homes, as well as shops and a hotel.

The real estate firm has taken the step through the company Espacio Medina, in which it controls a 70% stake, whilst the remaining 30% is owned by Acinipo, part of the Unicaja group. That company has been working in property development in Málaga for 10 years and is now strengthening its commitment to the city by participating in the project to regenerate La Térmica, a site that used to house the old thermal power plant for the city of Málaga.

Specifically, Espacio Medina has acquired 20% of the company Nueva Marina Real Estate (NUMA), owner of the rights over these plots. The remaining 80% is owned by the fund Ginkgo, which acquired the entire project at the end of 2017 through its subsidiary Ginkgo Participations II, after reaching an agreement with Endesa, the main shareholder of NUMA at that time.

Regeneration project

NUMA, which has entrusted the management of the planning and the subsequent development and marketing to Espacio Medina, is going to create more than 800 homes on the La Térmica site, alongside plots for other tertiary uses such as commercial space, offices and a hotel, on a site that has a total surface area of 115,944 m2.

The real estate consultancy Catella, together with Ginkgo’s law firm, Zaforzeta & Romero Rey, and PwC, on the side of Espacio Medina, have advised the operation.

With this new investment, Ginkgo, Inmobiliaria Espacio and Inmobiliaria Acinipo are all consolidating their commitment to Málaga, which they regard “as one of the best European cities on the Mediterranean Coast with the best expectations for development and quality of life for investment over the next few years”, explain sources at the company.

Original story: El Economista (by Alba Brualla)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Mapfre Sells Office In Madrid To GMP For €72M

7 April 2017 – Expansión

Yesterday, Mapfre agreed to sell an office building in Madrid to the real estate group GMP for €72 million. GMP will completely refurbish the property from 2018, according to a joint statement issued by the two companies.

The building, located on Calle Manuel Cortina, in the district of Chamberí, has a gross leasable area of 14,424 m2, with ten office floors and a ground floor that is used for commercial purposes. Moreover, it has three underground parking floors, with 368 parking spaces.

At the moment, the property’s main tenant is Mapfre, but the insurance firm will vacate the office floors at the end of 2017. Nevertheless, it will continue to occupy the majority of the commercial space on the ground floor over the long term.

The Director General of Business at GMP, Xabier Barrondo, highlighted that the operation “is another example of GMP’s commitment to investing in high-quality office buildings and business parks”.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Mapfre Inmuebles, Melchor García, explained that the sale “formed part of the insurance company’s policy to rotate its real estate assets and diversify its portfolio”.

Original story: Expansión (by I. García)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lar Assesses 10 New Deals In Spain Worth €1,000M

22 April 2016 – Expansión

The Socimi Lar España wants to maintain its pace of growth and to that end, it has set its sights on ten real estate operations worth €1,000 million. All of the assets are located in Spain, primarily in the shopping centre segment and, to a lesser extent, in the office and logistics segments, according to comments made yesterday by the Chairman of the Group, José Luis del Valle. He was speaking after the general shareholders’ meeting, at which a six-fold increase in the dividend for 2015 was approved, at €0.201 per share. In total, Lar will disburse €12 million.

Del Valle explained that the company has €200 million to invest, with not need to resort to the bond market or to carry out a capital increase. Currently, Lar España owns 24 real estate assets in ten autonomous regions worth €961 million. Of that figure, €686 million has been allocated to the acquisition of twelve retail spaces; €150 million to the purchase of four office buildings; €70 million to four logistics assets; and €55 million to its residential project on Calle Lagasca 99. Lar’s asset value increased by 5.4% between the Socimi’s launch in March 2014 and the end of 2015.

Miguel Pereda, CEO of Lar España, pointed out that, for the time being, the Socimi is not interested in the hotel segment and clarified that it will be analysing the real estate assets being sold off by El Corte Inglés when that process opens. The retail giant plans to sell up to 200 properties worth €1,000 million.

Original story: Expansión

Translation: Carmel Drake