JLL: Prime Retail Rents Grew During Q1 2019

23 April 2019 – Eje Prime

The rental prices of prime premises are growing in Spain. In 2018, the rental prices of retail parks rose by 5.4%, whilst high street rents increased by 5% and shopping centre rents by 2.6%.

According to a study by JLL, the growth in the rents of prime premises in Spain is forecast to be amongst the highest in Europe over the next five years, albeit more moderate than in previous years.

Investment in retail assets amounted to €208 million during Q1 2019, with Corpfin’s acquisition of the retail space in Edificio España (Madrid) accounting for the lion’s share (€160 million). Yields remained stable during the quarter.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake

Allianz Acquires the Castellana 200 Complex for €250M

12 April 2019 – Expansión

Allianz is going to be the new owner of the Castellana 200 office and retail complex located just a stone’s throw from Plaza Castilla in Madrid. The Socimi Silvercode, in which the Canadian pension fund manager PSP and Drago Capital both hold stakes, is going to sell the property to Allianz Real Estate for €250 million, five years after buying it from Reyal Urbis for €144 million.

The complex, which was developed by Reyal Urbis in 2009, comprises 20,295 m2 of office space, 6,415 m2 for commercial use and 844 parking spaces. It has additional buildability of 14,000 m2 for a hotel or residential project, which is currently suspended, although that space is excluded from the operation. Castellana 200 is currently managed by Drago Capital.

Original story: Expansión (by R. A.)

Translation/Summary: Carmel Drake

The Plans Progress for Málaga’s La Térmica Site

9 January 2018 – Málaga Hoy

The real estate operation that is going to transform the plot of land that used to house the thermal power plant in Málaga capital is advancing through all of the administrative procedures that need to be resolved for the organisation of the 874 homes, office buildings, hotel and retail spaces that are being planned for one of the most strategic blocks of land in the city.

So much so that sources close to the initiative, boosted by the international investment fund Ginkgo, have reported that the final proposal for the Special Plan for the Internal Renovation (Peri), the document that will form the basis of the future development, has already been sent to the Urban Planning Department.

That is a critical step after the previous plans were blocked by the courts. Even before receiving a definitive legal ruling, the property developer, which shares ownership of almost half of the urban development of the sector with Espacio (the other half is in the hands of the Town Hall), opted to activate a comprehensive review of Peri, in an attempt to accelerate the process.

Once in the hands of the municipal technicians, the Town Hall will have to validate the proposed plans initially, before subsequently opening up the analysis to a series of sector bodies, such as the General Directorate of Coasts, Civil Aviation, the Environment, amongst others.

The design of the buildings was awarded by Ginkgo to the French architecture studio Francois Leclercq. Unlike the model for the towers that are going to be constructed on an adjoining plot (…), the vision proposed by the French designers involves low-rise properties and a sustainable model in terms of the environment.

The studio itself highlights the strategic value of the space on which the buildings will be constructed, describing it as “an area that is in full mutation and which is marked by an industrial past”, which is reflected in the maintenance of the chimney (…).

Original story: Málaga Hoy (by Sebastián Sánchez)

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

RIU Sells the Commercial Space in Edificio España to Corpfin

4 September 2018 – Ali Market

The Riu Hotels & Resorts group has closed the sale to the investment firm Corpfin of the commercial space in Edificio España. The space is split over three floors (of a total of 27 in the property) and spans a total surface area of 15,000 sqm. This operation has caused the businessman Trinitario Casanova (Baraka), who intervened in the sale of the property by the former owner, the Chinese Wanda group, to the current Mallorcan owner, to file a lawsuit in the courts against Riu for breach of contract, on the basis that he understood that he had the right to recognise that commercial space in his name. Sources at Corpfin declined to deny or confirm the purchase, whilst sources at Riu confirmed that a sale has taken place (without specifying the buyer) and that the contract with Casanova has been cancelled.

Specifically, sources at Riu explain that “the current owner [of Edificio España] is the Riu group, which is undertaking the necessary work, in accordance with current legislation, to convert Edificio España into a reference hotel in Madrid from 2019 onwards, in addition to maintaining the identity of an architectural example that is of great value to the Spanish capital. In this sense, “Mr Casanova says that he purchased the building and sold it hours later, something that is false. Mr Casanova played an intermediary role between the Riu group and Wanda. Subsequently, a contract was signed whereby Mr Casanova exercised an intermediary role to sell the commercial space in Edificio España, owned by the Riu group, in exchange for a commission on the sales value. Mr Casanova breached the contract, given that he did not look for any buyers and merely submitted an offer to Riu in his own name. That offer was assessed by the Riu Group’s Board of Directors, which considered it insufficient and rejected it. “Given that Mr Casanova was not fulfilling the obligations established in the contract signed between the two parties, Riu received a higher offer for the commercial space in Edificio España and decided to accept it, as well as to cancel the contract with Mr Casanova after more than a year of inactivity by him”.

In all other regards, the Riu group, “as the legal owner of Edificio España” is undertaking the necessary remodelling and maintenance work to strengthen the structure and ensure that the front and side façades of the building are preserved “in order to protect the work of the Otamendi brothers, as established by the Law for the Protection of Historical Buildings”. This work requires a series of modifications and reinforcements to the structure of the building to ensure the preservation of the building and façade in perfect condition. “This work is being carried out in continuous dialogue with the municipal experts. None of the reviews by the municipal architects has led to the issuance of an unfavourable report regarding the execution that is being carried out by the Riu group, which always follow the instructions of the Town Hall’s architects”.

Original story: Ali Market (by Paco Mota)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Sfera Leaves Gran Vía & Frees Up 1,000 m2 of Prime Retail Space

23 August 2018 – Eje Prime

Sfera is freeing up 1,000 m2 of space in the centre of Madrid. In September, the fashion chain owned by El Corte Inglés is going to abandon the store it currently occupies on Gran Vía, with a useful commercial surface area of 600 m2. The company has decided not to renew the rent that tied it to the recent purchaser of the building, the US fund Thor Equities.

Located at number 30 on the Spanish capital’s main commercial thoroughfare, surrounded by competitor brands (Inditex, H&M, Tendam and Primark, amongst others), the store is no longer of interest to Sfera, which has justified its departure on the basis of the small size of the store for the exhibition model that it is developing, according to Cinco Días. The chain has occupied this three-story establishment (comprising the first, ground and basement floors) since 2005.

Sfera is immersed in a process to renovate and reorganise its business plan for its commercial activity in the centre of Madrid. The company recently remodelled its store at number 4 Calle Preciados, which has a surface area of 2,500 m2 spread over five storeys.

The objective of the chain is to strengthen the presence of its store on Preciados so that it will become the firm’s flagship store in the centre of Madrid. Similarly, Sfera is going to start work soon on the renovation of its store at number 56 Calle Fuencarral. The company’s portfolio of retail assets in the centre of the Spanish capital is completed by a second establishment at number 118 Calle Fuencarral and the concession stands it has in the El Corte Inglés stores in the area.

In total, Sfera renovated 26 of its stores in Spain in 2017. With a presence in 15 countries besides Spain, where it opened its newest store just a few months ago in Fuengirola (Málaga), the chain is investing considerably in the international real estate market. The clearest example is Mexico, where the firm has 45 stores, all operated as franchises.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Riu Negotiates Sale of Retail Space in Edificio España to Corpfin

22 August 2018 – Eje Prime

Riu is taking action and, after falling out with Baraka, it now has a potential buyer for the retail space in Edificio España. The hotel chain is finalising the sale of this space in the property, which spans a surface area of 15,000 m2, to the Spanish Socimi Corpfin Capital.

On Tuesday, the Baraka Group announced that it is going to file a lawsuit against Riu for the hotel chain’s refusal to recognise in the deed the 15,000 m2 of retail space that had been promised to the company Baraka Renta following the sale of the building last year. Moreover, the real estate company has demanded that the renovation work on the building, which began in the autumn of 2017, be suspended.

Following the breakdown of the agreement, Riu is now finalising the sale to Corpfin, which, in the event that it goes ahead, will acquire an asset that will be worth €200 million once the renovation of the property has been completed, according to Expansión.

Corpfin Capital has been extremely active in recent months. Just a few weeks ago, the Socimi led by Ana Granado purchased two prime stores from El Corte Inglés in Madrid and Bilbao for €100 million, as reported by Eje Prime. Moreover, in the logistics sector, the company invested €8 million in the acquisition of an asset from Makro.

On the divestment side, in July, Corpfin completed the sale to the fund Swiss Life of thirteen retail premises for €83 million. That operation was carried out through the two Socimis that the company has listed on the Alternative Investment Market (MAB): Corpfin Capital Prime Retail II Socimi (Ccpr II) and Corpfin Capital Prime Retail III Socimi (Ccpr III).

Original story: Eje Prime 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Thor Completes Purchase of Gran Vía 30 for €75M

20 June 2018 – Property Week

Thor Equities has completed the acquisition of a mixed-use building on Madrid’s Gran Via from Angelo Gordon for €75m (£64.8m), Property Week can reveal.

The 4,480 m2 building on the 100-year old main street in the centre of Madrid, contains 1,172 m2 of retail space alongside nine floors of residential accommodation and a multi-disciplinary event space on the thirteenth floor. The retail space in Gran Via 30 is predominantly let to the Spanish fashion chain Sfera.

Original story: Property Week (by Richard Hook)

Edited by: Carmel Drake

Carrefour Property Manages 20% of Spain’s Retail Space

2 April 2018 – Eje Prime

Carrefour Property is continuing to expand its map of shopping centres in Spain. The real estate subsidiary of the French distribution group has started the second quarter of the year with a portfolio of retail space under management spanning more than 2.6 million m2. That figure represents 20% of the total surface area of shopping centres in Spain.

The long list of retail plots controlled by the subsidiary of the Carrefour giant has increased in recent months with the management of the following centres: Gran Vía de Hortaleza (Madrid), Puerta de Alicante, Augusta (Zaragoza) and La Verónica (Málaga) in recent months, according to a statement issued by the company.

In total, Carrefour Property España manages 110 centres throughout the country: 82 centrally and the remaining 28, all of which are large shopping centres, through specific teams at each site.

The company’s Director of Shopping Centres, Antonio Fidalgo, stressed that “the management of retail spaces is one of the most important areas of our business, given that we not only manage our own centres, we also manage centres owned by other companies such as Merlin Properties, Klépierre, Carmila, Grupo Lar and Pradera, amongst others”.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

El Corte Inglés Should Receive Approval for Madrid Mega-Centre in March

23 December 2017 – Expansión

Three years have passed since El Corte Inglés acquired the most sought-after plot of land in Madrid, a space measuring 13,000 m2, located on Paseo de la Castellana. The group paid €136 million to be awarded the land, previously owned by Adif, in a deal that involved an initial payment of €68 million, followed by the disbursement of the remaining amount three years later. And that is also how long it has taken for El Corte Inglés to process the paperwork to allow it to expand the jewel in its crown, its Castellana shopping centre. According to sources familiar with the process, in January, the Town Hall of Madrid will submit its approval of the definitive plan to the central Spanish Government (…). According to the same sources, if all goes according to plan, El Corte Inglés will receive the green light to expand its Castellana megacentre in March, or, in any case, before the summer.

A complex project

The wait of more than three years to unblock the project has been due to a mix of complexity and bad luck. The urban planning proposal for the land established a total buildable surface area of 35,192 m2, of which 10,176 m2 corresponded to three above-ground storeys for tertiary use and 25,000 m2 to four underground basement floors for parking.

This proposal was very complex given the location of the land, located as it is, right on top of the Nuevos Ministerios Metro and Renfe stations (…).

Once it has been given the green light, it is likely that El Corte Inglés, which declined to comment, will not take long to start the building work to expand its Castellana centre. Its flagship store in the Spanish capital spans a surface area of more than 170,000 m2, with 70,000 m2 of retail space spread over seven floors and 1,600 underground parking spaces. More than 3,000 people work there.

According to sources in the sector, El Corte Inglés will also take the opportunity (of the construction of the new building) to reorganise the retail space that it owns in Nuevos Ministerios, and which includes its stores located between number 83 and 85 Paseo de la Castellana, which it sold to the real estate firm Monthisa in September 2016 through a sale and leaseback agreement (…).

Premium fashion and gastronomy

The marketing and design of the new retail space that El Corte Inglés is preparing to build on the land acquired from Adif is being carried out with the utmost secrecy by the retailer, which has refused to hire real estate agents like normally happens in these types of projects (…).

The most likely course of action is that it will create a premium space to house luxury brands and the highest-level gastronomy – although that is not the only possibility that the retail chain is currently contemplating -. That would strengthen one of the main objectives of its star centre: to attract tourist shoppers in the capital (…).

Original story: Expansión (by V. Osorio and R. Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake