Tag: Cordish

Cordish, the Last of the Big Failed Real Estate Projects

07 August 2017

Eurovegas, Operation Campamento, the Four Seasons of Barcelona and the Hyatt hotel project in the Torre Agbar are some of the most famous unsuccessful investments in Spain.

They were destined to occupy prominent positions in the ranking of mega real estate projects but were doomed to failure, even before starting out. Failure to comply with regulatory requirements, bureaucratic obstacles and clashes with the relevant authorities have been some of the factors that have caused the failure of multi-million-dollar investments planned by, among others, the North American group Cordish, the Chinese giant Wanda, the American magnate Sheldon Adelson and projects by the multinationals Four Seasons and Grand Hyatt in Barcelona.

The last project to flounder has been Cordish’s. The Baltimore-based group wanted to build a leisure and gambling complex in the Madrid municipality of Torres de la Alameda. But the Madrid Autonomous Community has rejected the proposal under the Integrated Development Center (CID) not once, but twice, considering that the project will not impact the economy, employments levels and culture sufficiently, while also questioning the project’s feasibility.

Cordish’s truncated plan joins Eurovegas, the ill-fated gambling complex that American Sheldon Adelson intended to build in Alcorcón, the Gran Scala fiasco in the Los Monegros desert and the mirage of The Kingdom of Don Quixote in Ciudad Real.

Another of investor that has accumulated bad experiences in Madrid is the Chinese giant Wanda, which owns 20% of Atletico Madrid. The conglomerate, led by the tycoon Wang Jianlin, announced three years ago its intention to invest at least 3 billion euros in a high-end complex with up to 15,000 luxury dwellings in the former Campamento barracks in Madrid owned by the Ministry of Defence. In addition, the urbanization plan included a commercial complex, theme parks and casinos. The Chinese group, however, gave up its plans when faced with land prices it considered exorbitant. Months later, another of Wanda’s star projects in Madrid went up in smoke. The group, which had bought the Edificio España from Santander for 265 million in 2014, decided to put it on sale after disagreements with the Madrid City Council, which required the conservation of the front and side facades, as established by the law on protection of historic buildings.

Vetoes

Hotel investments have suffered a setback in Barcelona as well. Suspended licenses have caused large international chains to withdraw from their projects in the City of Barcelona.

In particular, the arrival of the hotel brand Four Seasons in Barcelona was truncated by a municipal veto. KKH Property Investors paid 90 million euros for the Deutsche Bank building, located at the intersection of Barcelona’s Avenida Diagonal and the Paseo de Gracia. KKH was seeking the demolition of the building, to subsequently build a larger building, to be run by Four Seasons. But the project collided with the then activist Ada Colau, who turned the rejection of the project into one of her electoral promises. Her election to the Barcelona City Council in the summer of 2015 cut short KKH’s plans, which has chosen instead to rehabilitate the old office building and convert it into high-end residential housing. Four Seasons, which will land in Madrid in early 2019 at the Canalejas complex, is still looking for locations in the city.

Another of the big international hotel chains that could have come to Barcelona was Hyatt. In 2013, fund manager Emin Capital, led by Andorran Jordi Badia, announced that it had bought the Agbar Tower for 150 million euros and was preparing to convert it into a luxury hotel that would be managed by the US hotel chain. Three years later, the project had still not been approved and the asset was finally sold to Merlin Properties, which will maintain it as an office building and hope that it will become the headquarters of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Original Story: ProOrbyt Expansion – Rebeca Arroyo/Marisa Anglés

Translation: Richard Turner

French Guru To Build Giant Shopping Centre In Torrejón

25 April 2017 – El Confidencial

After four years of negotiations, the French multinational Compagnie de Phalsbourg has received the definitive green light to launch its first project in Spain. And it’s going to be a giant, with a gross leasable area of more than 100,000 m2, which promises to revolutionise the nature of shopping centres in the country.

The project will comprise an Open Sky complex and The Village outlet, two concepts that the French group has decided to combine in the same space for the first time in their history. Last week, the Town Hall of Torrejón de Ardoz granted the construction licence for the former, which had already received its urbanisation permit and, just three weeks ago, ING sold the French company the adjoining plot for the development of the outlet.

With these two milestones under its belt, Compagnie de Phalsbourg has put its foot down on the accelerator to begin construction of Open Sky next month and has already started marketing The Village. The aim of these two parallel lines of action is to inaugurate the complex in time for Christmas 2018 and to bring a new shopping centre concept to Spain, with the architecture taking on a starring role, including vast green spaces and water games.

The project presents a real challenge for this area in the northeast of Madrid, which just a few weeks ago saw the rejection of another major investment that had planned for this area, Cordish’s new Eurovegas, by the President of the Community, Cristina Cifuentes. The French group’s project, on the other hand, has already received the blessing of the local administration, which will allows it to enter and compete at the height of a period of transformation in the sector, following changes of ownership and the relaunch of Plenilunio, Cuadernillos and Alcalá Magna, as well as the upcoming sale of Parque Corredor.

The new Open Sky, designed by the architect Gianni Ranaulo, will be an outdoor shopping centre, with a gross leasable area (GLA) of 80,000 m2, containing 100 stores and 3,500 parking spaces, where numerous fashion houses will sell their wares along a walkway measuring more than 1.5 km The site will also have a navigable central lake, where light and water games will be held.

New giant

50% of the retail space has already been leased to firms such as Merkal, Adidas, Reebok, Soloptical, Kiwoko, Orchestra, Druni and Movistar, and an agreement with the Inditex giant is pending confirmation. (…).

Meanwhile, The Village, an outlet designed in the style of a villa by Philippe Starck, will cover a surface area of 22,000 m2 and will house 120 stores and restaurants, and 1,500 parking spaces. (…).

With these two developments, in which Compagnie de Phalsbourg plans to invest more than €100 million, the French group is beginning its expansion plan in Spain, where it plans to spend more than €500 million launching around half a dozen new projects over the next few years.

Founded in 1989 by Philippe Journo, the French group owns assets amounting to €1,240 million, as well as shopping centres (in operation) covering 600,000 m2, and shopping centres under construction covering 350,000 m2 in France. With rental income of €72 million per year, the company focuses its activity on the development, management and sale of both shopping centres and residential complexes (…).

Original story: El Confidencial

Translation: Carmel Drake

Cordish Intensifies Its Commitment To Its Mega Project In Madrid

21 March 2017 – Expansión

The implementation of a waste plant next to the site and a request for more information from the Community of Madrid have not deterred the US group Cordish in its plans to invest €2,000 million on the construction of the largest tourist and leisure complex in Europe.

Last December, Cordish, a US group with operations in the urban planning, health and leisure resorts business, unveiled its plans for a mega real estate project in Madrid, which includes 2,700 hotel rooms, 100,000 m2 of retail space, three conference centres, cinemas and a leisure space with casino.

With a view to its implementation, Cordish has signed agreements to buy land in the area (up to 134 hectares). (…).

In parallel, Cordish is working with the Community of Madrid on a process that will allow it to be awarded the contract to build this project. Although the idea came from the US group, given that it has constructed similar tourist complexes in several cities in the USA, the regional Government is obliged to put its construction out to public tender, even though, it is likely that only Cordish will submit a bid. (…).

Recycling plant

(…). Weeks after the plans were submitted, approval was given for the opening of a new waste treatment plant, measuring 507,000 m2, between the towns of Torrejón de Ardoz, Loeches and Torres de la Alameda, which is exactly where the macro-complex was going to be located.

Nevertheless, Cordish considers that its plans for Live! Resort Madrid are “completely compatible” with the new plant.

“This recycling plant will be equipped with the latest technology and will be located 2 km from the edge of the leisure complex and on the other side of the AVE train tracks. In fact, Cordish understands that this plant is going to be the solution to the historical problem facing the Community of Madrid in terms of waste management and considers that both projects can co-exist and will even be beneficial for each other”, explain sources at the company.

During its initial phase, Life! Resorts Madrid will invest around €500 million. This first phase will be focused around a central square, where a hotel will be built, a convention centre and “probably” the gaming area.

In total, Cordish expects to spend around €2,200 million in Madrid, although that figure could increase to €3,000 million.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake