VIA Outlets will Start Renovating its Shopping Centre in Sevilla in Q4

11 October 2018 – Eje Prime

VIA Outlets has a start date for the remodelling and expansion of its shopping centre in Sevilla. The European group is going to start the building work on its Sevilla Fashion Outlet before the end of the year, according to explanations provided by the company to Eje Prime. The start of the complex’s reconstruction coincides with the opening of Torre Sevilla, owned by CaixaBank, and the relaunch in 2019 of Palmas Altas, owed by Lar España.

The company is going to invest more than €13 million in this comprehensive renovation project of the Sevillan outlet centre, the group’s second largest in Spain, after its complex in Mallorca. Amongst other aspects, “the building work will include the reconfiguration of the restaurant and food area”, says the company, which is also going to increase the number of parking spaces by approximately 40%.

In terms of aesthetic considerations, the renovation will involve a general remodelling of the centre, which will include a new façade, a renovated entrance and new common areas. “This, as a whole, will contribute to repositioning Sevilla Fashion Outlet as the only premium outlet in Andalucía”, says the group.

The retail complex has been owned by VIA Outlets since January 2017, when it purchased it from the fund Irus European Retail Property. With a surface area spanning 16,400 m2, Sevilla Fashion Outlet has already started the work to recondition and expand the complex’s parking area.

Founded in 2014 as a joint venture between  APG, Hammerson, Value Retail and Meyer Bergman, VIA Outlets has seen rapid growth in the real estate retail market. In just four years, the group has acquired eleven centres around Europe and, recently, it recruited two new senior managers. They were Otto Ambagtsheer (formerly of Unibail-Rodamco), who has been appointed as the Operations Director, and Peter Stals (formerly Blackrock),  who is the company’s new Finance Director (…).

The portfolio of VIA Outlets spans a gross leasable area (GLA) of more than 259,000 m2 and is home to more than 850 brands across the nine European countries in which it has a presence. In 2017, the group’s eleven centres recorded sales of more than €1 billion and were visited by more than 30 million people.

Original story: Eje Prime (by Jabier Izquierdo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Torre Sevilla Shopping Centre Opens its Doors

26 September 2018 – Eje Prime

Torre Sevilla has been completed, six years on. The shopping centre, promoted by CaixaBank, will open its doors to the public today, whereby culminating an urban development program that began to take shape in the 1990s. The complex alone, located in the centre of Sevilla, has involved an investment of €100 million, a third of the total amount spent on the macro-project.

Torre Sevilla is opening its doors at the height of the Retail Apocalypse and at a turbulent time for the sector in Sevilla: Palmas Altas announced last week that it has changed its name to Lagoh, whilst the Alcora shopping centre project has been cancelled.

The new complex in Sevilla is a mixed development that includes, as well as a shopping centre, an office building, a Eurostars hotel, CaixaForum Sevilla and Parque de Magallanes. The shopping centre, designed by the Argentinian architect César Pelli, comprises two large buildings with a gross leasable area (GLA) of 26,700 m2 and a constructed surface area of 43,000 m2.

The complex will open its doors with a 95% occupancy rate, and with Primark, Fnac and Ikea as the drivers. “People don’t go shopping anymore, they go for a walk, and formats such as hypermarkets are no longer the drivers”, explains Antonio Cayuela, President of BuildingCenter and sole administrator of Puerto Triana (the company that controls the complex).

In this sense, Cayuela emphasises the location of Torre Sevilla, in the heart of the city, and its integration with the office building and hotel, which ensures footfall “every day of the week”.

“Shopping centres are changing, just like retail: the trend is now returning to local businesses, with smaller but very accessible formats, close to the city”, says the executive. The property developer forecasts that the centre will receive around 8 million visitors per year.

Torre Sevilla’s offer includes, amongst others, the first stores from Ikea, Primark and Xiaomi in the city centre, as well as restaurants and services such as a gym and a catering facility – a cross between a supermarket and a restaurant – serving homemade food to take away.

“Hypermarkets are no longer the drivers”, says Cayuela. “We have ruled out cinemas, because they occupy a lot of space, because there are lots of them and because in the era of Netflix, they are no longer attractive”, he says.

“Omnichannel” corner to compete with the internet 

In this sense, Torre Sevilla is also planning to incorporate new concepts over the medium term to encourage omnichannel integration and attract footfall to the complex at a time when the online channel is gaining more and more traction.

In this sense, the company will launch a space called Omni Tech, which will integrate different omnichannel tools, such as click and collect. “We want to be a leader in the implementation of new ideas in terms of omnichannels; although I do not think that the online channel will ever completely substitute a physical purchase, it is important to have a good experience in person to attract people to stores”, says the executive.

Original story: Eje Prime (by Iria P. Gestal)

Translation: Carmel Drake

A Blow to Sevilla’s Retail Sector: Plans for Alcora Shopping Centre Cancelled

21 September 2018 – Eje Prime

Sevilla has lost one of its major post-crisis commercial projects. In the end, the Alcora shopping centre, promoted by Grupo Tremon, is not going to open its doors, even though its construction was announced in 2014 with a planned investment of €167 million, according to reports from Europa Press.

The plots on which the shopping centre was going to be constructed, which have a combined surface area of 23,000 m2, are located next to the headquarters of Canal Sur TV in San Juan de Aznalfarache. The plan envisaged by Grupo Tremon involved a 3-storey building plus two levels of underground parking with capacity for 1,300 vehicles.

In 2014, the plenary of the Sevillan town hall approved a modification to the urban regulations so that the work for the construction of the complex, located on the Aljarafe cornice, could be undertaken. The views over the Guadalquivir and Sevilla were going to take centre stage in Alcora, which envisaged a large square with a lookout over the Sevillan capital.

Tough competition

Nevertheless, the collapse of this commercial project contrasts with the good times that the commercial sector is experiencing in Sevilla. The imminent opening of Torre Sevilla (the fifth tallest building in Spain after the iconic Cuatro Torres in Madrid) by CaixaBank, will be followed in the spring by the Lagoh shopping centre, Grupo Lar’s big gamble in the Sevillan retail sector.

This latter complex (initially called Palmas Altas) is going to become the largest commercial space in the city, with a surface area of more than 100,000 m2. The investment in this project by Lar España will amount to €250 million.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Metrovacesa Invests €175M in Torre del Río Residential Project in Málaga

13 September 2018 – Eje Prime

Metrovacesa is backing the Malagan residential market. The property developer is going to invest €175 million in the Torre del Río residential project in the city of Málaga. The proposal involves the construction, on a surface area spanning 58,368 m2, of three residential properties, distributed over 21 storeys and with the capacity for more than 250 homes.

Each tower will house around 75 large homes, two swimming pools, a gym, a gastrobar, a coworking area and a movie theatre. The first units are expected to be handed over at the beginning of 2021.

The construction of the project is going to generate 1,500 direct and indirect jobs and is going to be led by Estudio Lamela, the company that won the architectural tender to construct Torre del Río. In the vicinity around the three skyscrapers, 39,131 m2 of space will be dedicated to free public areas and 12,648 m2 will be allocated for school, sports and social uses, as well as a building for tertiary and hotel use.

According to the developers of the project, “the urban development of this area is going to allow the recovery for Malaga of old industrial enclaves along the Antonino Banderas seafront on Calle Pacífico.

The Torre del Río residential development follows another investment undertaken by Metrovacesa in the south. In June, the listed property developer signed an agreement with the Town Hall of Sevilla to unblock the largest real estate development in the Andalucían capital at the moment.

That project is going to be located in Palmas Altas and will comprise more than 2,800 homes, of which 2,200 will be constructed by Metrovacesa. In terms of investment, access and the urbanisation of the land, the Spanish property developer is going to invest €60 million, funds that will come from a corporate loan that it signed with seven entities at the end of 2017.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lar España Invests €2M on Renovation of As Termas Shopping Centre in Lugo

31 August 2018 – Eje Prime

Lar España is revaluing one of its assets. The Socimi specialising in retail is going to invest €2 million in the renovation of its As Termas shopping centre, located in the city of Lugo.

The building work will begin in September and is expected to be finished by the end of the year. The company has set itself the objective of improving the restaurant areas and the overall comfort of the centre to “allow greater convenience for both customers and tenants”.

The company is also going to launch other renovation projects soon, including the refurbishment of the following shopping centres: Megapark in Vizcaya; Ànec Blau in Barcelona; and Portal de la Marina in Alicante. As at 30 June 2018, the market value of Lar España’s asset portfolio amounted to €1.58 billion.

During the first half of 2018, Lar España invested €41.3 million, with the largest amount being allocated to the development of the Palmas Altas shopping centre in Sevilla, followed by the Lagasca 99 residential development in Madrid and the VidaNova Parc retail park in Valencia.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lar España Sells 2 Out-of-Town Stores in Pamplona to AEW for €11.5M

3 August 2018 – Eje Prime

Lar España is continuing its selling spree. The Spanish Socimi has divested two out-of-town stores in the Parque Galaria Retail Park in Pamplona for €11.5 million. The buyer is the company Fructiregions Europe, owned by the fund AEW, which has acquired a gross leasable area (GLA) of 4,108 m2, according to a statement filed by Lar with Spain’s National Securities and Exchange Commission (CNMV).

With this operation, the Socimi is strengthening its divestment and asset rotation plan, which it currently has underway and which has allowed it to raise up to €276.5 million to “focus its efforts on strategic commercial assets”, according to explanations from the company.

For the assets sold in Pamplona, Lar España has managed to obtain profits of 37% with respect to the €8.4 million that it paid for them in July 2015. In total, the two out-of-town stores occupy a gross leasable area (GLA) of 4,108 m2.

As well as divesting its non-strategic assets, Lar España has launched a three-year plan that includes the purchase of strategic commercial assets, such as the deal it carried out recently with the Rivas Futura Retail Park (Madrid), which it acquired for €62 million, and the Abadía Shopping Arcade (Toledo), which it purchased for €14 million.

In total, the Socimi has funding to invest €247 million in commercial developments. Examples include Palmas Altas in Sevilla, which will open its doors in 2019, and for whose construction the company has raised almost €100 million in bank financing; and Vidanova Parc, in Sagunto (Valencia), which recently debuted its first phase. Moreover, Lar España is going to spend €49 million on the renovation of retail assets that it holds in its portfolio.

After divesting its logistics portfolio a few weeks ago, for which the fund Blackstone paid €120 million, Lar España now has 18 real estate assets in its portfolio worth €1,401.5 million, of which €1,136.5 million correspond to shopping centres, equivalent to 81% of the total. 6% of the portfolio comprises office buildings, worth €85 million, and the remaining 13% belongs to the residential market, where the company has €180 million in developments under construction.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lar España has already Leased 60% of Palmas Altas Shopping & Leisure Centre (Sevilla)

17 May 2018 – Inmodiario

Palmas Altas is progressing well. More than 60% of the gross leasable area (GLA) in the shopping and family leisure complex, which is owned by Lar España, has already been leased. Specifically, agreements have now been signed to occupy 50 stores, which span 42,581 m2. The shopping centre will have 100,000 m2 of retail and family leisure space in total and comprise almost 150 stores.

The Socimi expects to lease more than 90% of the complex by the end of 2018. Lar España forecasts that Palmas Altas will generate annual rental income of around €15 million from the lease of its stores.

Those who visit Palmas Altas will find an extensive offering of leisure, fashion, household goods, restaurants and entertainment at Sevilla’s largest retail and leisure complex. That will be complemented with public spaces and a lake spanning 6,000 m2. Specifically, 60% of the total surface area will be dedicated to commercial space and 40% to restaurants, leisure, sports and green space.

Lar España has reached agreements with major brands, such as Mercadona, which will manage the complex’s hypermarket, and MediaMarkt, which will open a large store dedicated to the sale of household appliances, IT products and consumer electronics. The leisure offer will include Yelmo’s latest generation cinema screens and an Urban Planet space measuring 3,000 m2, which will include a wind tunnel and aquatic activities around the lake, amongst other options.

In the restaurant area, highlights will include Five Guys, McDonalds, 100 Montaditos, Starbucks and Friday’s, as well as several Andalucian operators. The fashion brands that have already confirmed their presence in Palmas Altas include Primark, Levis, Jack & Jones, Diechmann and Foot Locker (…).

Progress of the construction work

The work to build Palmas Altas, which began in August 2017, has already completed the foundation phase (…). In total, almost 30% of the project has been finished.

The Palmas Altas project will result in the creation of 4,800 jobs. Of those, 1,500 are related to the construction of the retail complex and the remaining 3,300 will be permanent jobs. This represents a significant wake-up call for the economy and creation of jobs in Sevilla: in fact, Lar España prioritises the contracting of local suppliers for the construction and maintenance of its assets.

The total investment in the development of this commercial and family leisure complex will amount to €250 million, which represents the largest urban planning investment in the city in the last decade and the Socimi’s most valuable asset to date.

Original story: Inmodiario

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lar España Invests €250M In Mega Retail Complex In Sevilla

17 November 2016 – Expansión

Yesterday, the Socimi Lar España Real Estate presented its largest investment project to date, which will be built in Sevilla. The project will involve the construction of the Palmas Altas retail and leisure complex, which will be built on a plot of land measuring 123,500 m2 in the Andalucian capital. It will create 3,300 jobs in total, with a further 1,500 jobs during the construction phase.

The company expects the construction work at the site, which is located next to the district of Los Bermejales in the south of the city, to take approximately two years, which means that the largest shopping centre in the city, and one of the largest in Andalucía, will likely open in the spring of 2019. (…).

Almost two hundred brands have already said they want to open stores in the future shopping centre, the design of which prioritises sustainability and accessibility, according to its developers. The commercial and leisure area will cover 100,000 m2 of the plot, and will have space for 150 retail units, cinemas, green areas and restaurant spaces with various cuisines on offer, as well as children’s playgrounds, look outs, and a 6,000 m2 lake for recreational use, sporting activities and cultural events. (…).

The Socimi Lar España currently owns 26 real estate assets, worth €1,201 million in total. Of those, €901 million correspond to the fourteen shopping centres that the group owns in 13 provincial capitals all over Spain, including Madrid and Barcelona. It also owns four office buildings in those two cities, worth €168 million.

Original story: Expansión (by Nacho González)

Translation: Carmel Drake