Tag: Operation Chamartín

Merlin Properties Postpones Acquisition of BBVA’s Stake in the Distrito Castellana Norte

3 January 2020 – Merlin Properties has postponed its acquisition of shares in the Operation Chamartín from BBVA due to its discontent over the current direction of the Distrito Castellana Norte (DCN). Together with the 14.46% stake the firm had acquired from San José, the acquisition would have made Merlin the largest shareholder in the mega-development.

At the same time, the government of the Community of Madrid is slowing down its approval of zoning regulations for the new urban development.

Merlin Properties ha postergado su adquisición de acciones en la Operación Chamartín de BBVA debido a su descontento por la dirección actual del Distrito Castellana Norte (DCN). Junto con la participación del 14,46% que la empresa había adquirido de San José, la adquisición habría convertido a Merlín en el mayor accionista del mega desarrolló.

Al mismo tiempo, el gobierno de la Comunidad de Madrid está retrasando su aprobación de regulaciones para el nuevo desarrollo urbano.

Original Story: Eje Prime

Translation/Summary: Richard D. Turner

 

Metrovacesa Reverses Plans to Build Homes at Clesa

17 December 2019 – Metrovacesa is looking to obtain the necessary final approvals from the Madrid City Council in January 2020 and that of the regional government in the middle of that same year. The firm stated that it is not considering building homes. Instead, it is studying a public-private collaboration to renovate the former Clesa factory, which Metrovacesa has ceded to the city.

The developer is continuing to plan on building a large mixed-use project on much of land, which is nearby Operation Chamartín. Metrovacesa will allocate 50% of the land for new offices while dividing the rest into other businesses such as retail, student residences and hotels.

The land in concern has 38,000 m2, excluding the 8,000 m2 Metrovacesa has ceded to the Madrid City Council. In total, there is a buildable area of ​​90,000 m2 and the firm will invest 260 million euros.

Original Story: Idealista – Carlos Lospitao

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Merlin Properties Prepares New Offer for Operation Chamartín

28 November 2019 – Merlin Properties has finalised an agreement with BBVA and the San José construction group to give it the right of first refusal for a stake in the North Castellana District (DCN), where the San José holds a 10% stake and the bank 75.54%. The socimi, however, intends to make an offer right away.

Merlin Properties currently has a 14.46% stake in the Operation Chamartín development and is looking for greater control. Merlin had already offered to trade control of 700 offices that it currently rents to the banking group for the operating rights to Operation Chamartín. The bank, however, is seen to be more interested in taking a stake in Merlin Properties itself, possibly of 2%.

Original Story: OK Diário – Borja Jiménez

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Merlin Properties Nears Sale of Portfolio of 26 Office Buildings

18 November 2019 – Merlin Properties is close to finalising the sale of a portfolio of 26 office buildings in Madrid and Barcelona for an estimated 200 million euros. The socimi is selling assets, with a total area of 133,000 square meters, which it considers to be non-strategic. Merlin expects to finalise the sale by the end of November and disclosed that it already has received a deposit from the presumed buyer.

The sale is taking place a few weeks after the firm managed to enter into Madrid’s Operation Chamartín as a partner. Chamartín is the largest urban development project currently underway in Europe. Merlin acquired a 14.4% stake in Distrito Castellana Norte, the owner to the development rights for Operation Chamartín from the San José construction group. The socimi agreed to pay 169 million euros for the stake, in addition to granting an €86 million loan to the construction group.

Original Story: La Información

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Merlin Properties Extends €129-Million Loan to San José

6 November 2019 – Merlin Properties has extended a €129.10 million loan to the San José construction group, part of a recent transaction which saw the Spanish socimi acquire a 14.4% stake in Operation Chamartín. The socimi agreed to pay €168 million as well as grant the loan to San José.

The loan is structured into two tranches, the first, worth 86.39 million euros, has a 20-year maturity and an interest rate of 2%.

The second, €42.72-million tranche, also pays 2%. Merlin structured the loan as a cash deposit to guarantee working capital financing that San José has until October 31. The second tranche will mature on December 2.

Original Story: Expansión

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Merlin Properties Acquires 14.4% of Operation Chamartín from San José for €168 Million

1 November 2019 – Merlin Properties has acquired a 14.46% stake in the Operation Chamartín urban development from the San José construction group for 168.89 million euros.

The socimi has thus become the second major investor in the mega-project, through its acquisition of part of San José’s 24% stake in the development. BBVA, in turn, owns the remaining 74%.

The operation includes a loan to San José. Currently, Merlin has a portfolio of land, residential properties, shopping centres and logistics platforms valued at €12.375 billion. Merlin, the largest socimi in Spain, is coming into the development at a time when construction is finally set to take off, after twenty years of negotiations.

Original Story: La Vanguardia – Rocío Ruiz

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Trinitario Casanova Files €713-Million Lawsuit Against BBBVA

16 October 2019 – Trinitario Casanova announced that he had filed a €713-million lawsuit against BBVA, demanding compensation for damages stemming from Operation Chamartín.

The owner of the Baraka Group contends that he is filing the lawsuit to defend the right of reversion that he acquired from the members of the Non-Abuse association, an NGO which was created to defend the rights of the original owners of the land where the Chamartín station is now located.

In his lawsuit, Casanova argues that BBVA should pay him a total of 713 million euros should it not wish to accept the executive’s right of reversion and return the 1.3 million square meters of land linked to the Operation Chamartín.

Original Story: Eje Prime

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Trinitario Casanova’s Baraka Group to Build Hotel in Valdebebas

14 October 2019 – The executive Trinitario Casanova is planning on building a new hotel in Madrid Norte, the capital’s new residential area, between Valdebebas and Operation Chamartín. Casanova’s Baraka Group confirmed that it would develop the new hotel on a 38,000-m2 plot of land its owns near to the Real Madrid sports complex and the access to Madrid-Barajas airport. The project reportedly also includes plans for rental offices on the same site.

The area where the hotel will be located is in the ‘Valdebebas Fintech District’ in the new Madrid Nuevo Norte in the north of Madrid, where 11,400 new homes are already under development.

Original Story: La Información – Ana Sánchez Juárez

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Developers Eye More Than €30 Billion in New Business in Madrid

21 August 2019

Developers are eyeing huge new possible investments they expect to build approximately 130,000 new homes over the next 25 years. That is in addition to major new investments in offices, retail spaces and industrial buildings. The sale of homes and other properties is expected to exceed €30 billion.

Developers are planning two new centres of investment in the north and southeast of the capital. The developments include Operation Chamartín (since renamed Madrid Nuevo Norte) and five new neighbourhoods to the southeast: Los Berrocales, Valdecarros, Los Cerros, Los Ahijones and El Cañaveral.

Operation Chamartín was finally approved last month by the municipal assembly, after a 26-year hiatus. A report by the city council forecasts that total sales of homes, offices and commercial areas will reach €13.198 billion, €10.2 billion of which will come from offices and retail areas. 10,500 homes will also be built in the area surrounding the Chamartín train station, 24% of which will have subsidies.

A development with a total of 118,737 homes is also planned for the city’s southeast. Sales for this area are expected to reach more than €20 billion over 25 years with profit margins reaching 20%. El Cañaveral, where construction has already begun, will see total investments of €3 billion. Next will be Los Berrocales and then Los Ahijones by 2021. Lastly, work will begin on Los Cerros and Valdecarros, with plans for more than 50,000 homes, the first of which will be ready in a decade. The owners of these developments, excluding El Cañaveral, calculate investments exceeding €13 billion, generating 965,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next few years.

Original Story: Cinco Días – Alfonso Simón Ruiz

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

BBVA to Sell Its 75% Participation in the Madrid Nuevo Norte Project

30 July 2019 – Richard D. K. Turner

The Madrid City Council has unanimously approved the Madrid Nuevo Norte project, also known as Operation Chamartín, after a twenty-five-year wait. The project must now gain final approval from the Community of Madrid government and weather lawsuits from community and environmental groups.

District Castellana Norte (DCN), which is 75% owned by BBVA together with Grupo San José (25%), is the developer in charge of the project. Though BBVA has publicly affirmed its commitment to see the project through, increased oversight by the ECB and a change in the bank’s leadership have fuelled speculation that BBVA will sell its participation of a single major investor.

Despite some changes to the urban development plan, Operation Chamartín will lead to the construction of 10,500 homes (20% with some kind of protection), a new financial district and the refurbishment of the Chamartín train station. In total, investors will plough roughly €6 billion into the project over about two decades. Construction is expected to commence in 2021.

Original Story: El Confidencial – Ruth Ugalde