Tag: Fundación Montemadrid

Cerberus Puts 2 of Bankia’s Prime Branches Up For Sale

12 March 2018 – El Confidencial

Cerberus wants to take advantage of the appetite that exists for retail premises on Spain’s main high streets at the moment and to this end, has opened a process to sell two of Bankia’s star branches, located on Plaza de Catalunya in Barcelona and at number 1 Calle Alcalá in Madrid, according to sources familiar with proceedings.

The operation has been instrumented through Haya Real Estate, the real estate servicer of Cerberus, which is in charge of managing the assets thanks to the contract signed with the entity, and has been organised as a closed process, rather than through the website, like it does with other assets when it puts them on the market.

In both cases, the bank chaired by José Ignacio Goirrigolzarri is planning to vacate the premises, so that the buyers can let them to a new tenant and whereby obtain more attractive offers.

The establishment located on Alcalá 1, a historical building dating back to the 19th century, has a surface area of 900 m2 spread over the ground floor and basement. The process, which was launched last month, has received interest from several parties looking to acquire the empty space.

On the plus side, it is located right next to the entrance of the well-known Puerta del Sol, and it is very close to Calle Preciados, the most expensive shopping street in Madrid, with an average rent of €3,180/m2, according to Cushman & Wakefield (C&W). On the downside, its shop window overlooking Calle Alcalá is very reduced.

Meanwhile, in Plaza de Cataluna, the 1,000 m2 branch that Bankia owns is homes to its headquarters in the Catalan capital. Haya already identified it at the end of last year as a serious candidate for sale, a decision that it took in the end boosted by the record retail investment figures.

According to figures from Savills-Aguirre Newman, investor interest in the commercial segment in 2017 allowed it to break records, reaching €3.5 billion, levels that the real estate consultancy expects will be maintained this year thanks to the strong outlook that still exists for tourism, amongst other factors.

Plaza de Catalunya is also one of the most commercial areas in Spain, with rents exceeding €1,200/m2, and with the added bonus that it is a genuine magnet for large fashion firms.

In fact, Uniqlo was on the verge of acquiring the 3,000 m2 that Fundación Montemadrid used to own next door to Bankia’s branch, a property that ended up being sold to Desigual to house its new flagship store. El Corte Inglés, Apple, Zara and Fnac are just some of the distinguished neighbours on this sought-after square.

Original story: El Confidencial (by Ruth Ugalde)

Translation: Carmel Drake

KKH Property Buys Monte de Piedad’s Former HQ For €80M

9 December 2016 – El Confidencial

A year after engaging Irea to organise an official sales process for its headquarters in Plaza del Celenque, the Fundación Montemadrid (the successor of the former Fundación Caja Madrid) has reached an agreement with KKH Property Investors to sell the property for around €80 million, according to sources consulted by El Confidencial.

This is a key operation both for the Fundación, which will raise funds through this divestment to allow it to ensure the continuation of its social work, as well as for the buyer, which is entering the sought-after real estate market in Madrid with a bang.

Headquartered in Barcelona, KKH Property is a joint venture between KKH Capital, the investment group controlled by the former CEO of Renta Corporación, Josep María Farré, and Perella Weinberg, which owns a stake in this partnership through one of its opportunistic funds.

The JV plans to convert the Monte de Piedad building in Madrid into a luxury hotel, with 180 rooms and suites, as well as an extensive range of restaurants and spaces for conferences and social events. The building has a surface area of 27,000 m2, spread over seven above ground floors and two basement floors, used for parking.

Located between Plaza de Celenque and Plaza de Las Descalzas, the property will continue to house the activities of the Fundación Montemadrid, which will continue to occupy approximately 2,000 m2 of the property. (…).

The building was constructed in 1975, on the site of the former Montepío, just opposite the Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales and only 200 m from the Puerta del Sol. (…).

The sale of the former headquarters of Fundación Montemadrid, whose offices are now located next door in La Casa de Las Alhajas, sparked interest amongst a large group of buyers. Nevertheless, the price expectations of the seller ended up whittling down the potential candidates to just two, KKH Property and Hispania, both of which submitted definitive offers in the summer, according to market sources.

In the end, KKH has emerged victorious. Although this is the company’s first major operation in Madrid, the vehicle led by Farré already owns several iconic buildings in Barcelona, most notably the former headquarters of Deutsche Bank, located at numbers 109 and 111 on Paseo de Gracia, which it acquired in July 2014. (…).

Original story: El Confidencial (by Ruth Ugalde)

Translation: Carmel Drake