Invesco Invests €80M in Madrid Logistics Park to be Built by Pavasal

19 March 2018 – Expansión

The Valencian construction company Pavasal and the investment fund manager Invesco have reached an agreement to develop the largest available area of logistics space for rent in the city of Madrid, with an investment of €80 million.

The project will involve the construction, by Pavasal, of a logistics park spanning 90,000 m2, just 8km from the centre of the Spanish capital, which Invesco will subsequently purchase. The operation has been advised by the consultancy firm BNP Paribas Real Estate.

The Madrid M-40 Logistics Park (PAL-40), which is going to be located alongside the M-40, will be built in two phases. The first phase will involve the construction of a building measuring more than 45,000 m2. This property may be leased in modules upwards of 2,500 m2 to several tenants or be occupied by a single logistics operator.

Work on the first phase is scheduled to begin during the second half of 2018 and the keys are expected to be handed over during the third quarter of next year.

Meanwhile, the second phase of the project will include another 45,000 m2 of logistics space, which may be used for turn-key projects adapted to the needs of operators.

Last mile delivery

The park is going to be constructed on the basis of a ratio of more than 2,000 delivery operations per day and will optimise delivery times thanks to its location with respect to the large population nuclei and logistics activity centres. Moreover, it will receive an energy efficiency certificate, according to those responsible for the project.

Specifically, the platform will have a 336-metre long façade overlooking the motorway and will be accessible by vehicle from Avenida de Andalucía, which the logistics sector call the last mile.

In this way, the new logistics park is going to be located less than 8km from Puerta del Sol, close to the Atocha AVE station and 19km from the airport.

The logistics sector was one of the segments that performed the best last year, as shown by the large volume of land that was bought and sold thanks to the growing demand for logistics space by companies dedicated to e-commerce.

Thus, the level of uptake in the sector in the market of Madrid and its area of influence reached historical highs in 2017, with 886,405 m2 of space leased, according to data compiled by BNP Paribas Real Estate.

Original story: Expansión (by Rebeca Arroyo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

‘Valencia Parque Central’ Hopes to Raise €300M From Sale of Buildable Public Plots

22 February 2018 – Eje Prime

Valencia’s public institutions want to recover some of the investment that they are making in Parque Central. The company that is promoting the development, which is owned by the Government of Spain (50%), the Generalitat Valenciana (25%) and the Town Hall of Valencia (25%), hope to raise €300 million from the sale of the buildable public plots in this area. Those proceeds would cover 15% of the total cost of the building work, which has an approximate cost of €2 billion.

According to explanations provided by the Town Hall, the intention of the company is to propose a first public auction of the land to the Board of Directors. The Director-General of Valencia Parque Central, Salvador Martínez, has explained that “they will study two formal questions: the specifications that regulate the sales process and the sales strategy”, according to Valencia Plaza.

The work that needs to be carried out in the Russafa and Malilla areas will bring with them the largest urban planning operation underway in Valencia. This is a railway and urban project, in which, in addition to placing the railway underground and building a new train station, the city will benefit from a new green space with a park spanning 230,000 m2. The company’s forecasts suggest that the garden will be inaugurated in June.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

25% Of Adif’s Retail Units Are Vacant

21 December 2015 – El Economista

In total, 307 retail units at Adif’s train stations in Spain are vacant. These establishments occupy a total surface area of 38,239 m2, which represents approximately 24.8% of the more than 154,000 m2 covered by all of the areas dedicated to restaurants, retail and leisure in the network of stations owned by the railway manager. In other words, almost a quarter of the retail space at train stations is currently empty.

During 2014, Adif recorded revenues of €569.5 million, of which €134.6 million related to rental income and services. Of that amount, €61.4 million was generated by the lease of buildings, shops and other properties and €71.8 million was generated by the use of fibre optics. Therefore, the contribution of rental income from retail stores, homes and plots represented around one tenth of total revenues. On the basis of the data about the uptake of retail units at Spanish train stations, that amount could increase significantly if the occupancy rates were improved.

The 307 available stores owned by Adif are spread across 75 train stations, according to the data from the body that sits under the Ministry of Development. The station in Albacete Los Llanos has the highest number of empty units, with 29 in total, covering a combined surface area of 3,953 m2. Meanwhile, the station in Córdoba has 12 stores available, with a surface area of 3,255 m2, whilst the station in Cáceres has 13 free units, covering 2,313 m2.

After Albacete, Córdoba and Cáceres, the stations with the most available space are Pontevedra and Madrid Chamartín, with 2,160 m2 (10 stores) and 1,996 m2 (5 stores), respectively. The station in the Spanish capital has various units available, where according to the website of the state-owned company, shops, a restaurant and car rental parking could be opened.

By contrast, in Madrid’s other major train station, Atocha, there is not a single square metre available for rent. At the other main train stations in Spain, Barcelona Sans has just one store available, measuring 48 m2, whilst Sevilla Santa Justa also has just one unit without a tenant, measuring 28 m2.

By contrast, at the high speed train station Valencia Joaquín Sorolla, there are seven units without a tenant, with a total surface area of 346 m2. There are six empty shops at Zaragoza Delicias, with a total surface area of 161 m2. And at María Zambrano in Málaga, one shop is available, along with two sites for ATMs.

Empty for several years

The majority of the retail spaces are available to rent immediately. Nevertheless, some of them have been empty for several years. In certain cases, that is because they need major renovations. Others will be available from early 2016, which is why Adif has now begun to market them.

The supply from the railway manager, which launched a plan two years ago to get rid of many of the homes and land under its ownership, includes units that may be used as shops, restaurants, cafeterias, kiosks, offices, bookshops, ATMs, parking and car rental. At certain train stations, Adif prohibits any new tenants from using properties to undertake activities already in operation at existing stores.

During 2015, the prices of the retail units at Adif’s train stations have ranged between €975/month, for stores measuring up to 8 m2, and €10,500/month, for stores measuring up to 30 m2. (…).

Original story: El Economista (by Javier Mesones)

Translation: Carmel Drake