Tag: urbanisation

Aedas Homes Unveils its Plans for Hacienda del Rosario (Sevilla)

8 January 2018 – ABC Sevilla

A new neighbourhood with more than 1,000 homes for families aged between 30 and 45 at affordable prices. That is the project that is now being built in Hacienda del Rosario, right opposite the Decathlon store and next to the Parsi Industrial Estate. The aim is to develop the city’s urban planning project and recover the demographic indices last seen a decade ago.

The Aedas Homes group is going to build 1,046 two-, three- and four-bedroom homes in seven 10-storey towers over a surface area of 93,000 m2, of which 73,000 m2 will comprise green space. And the Town Hall is going to build another 218 social housing properties on an adjacent plot, owned by the Urban Planning Department, which Emvisesa has already started to process. That means that by the start of 2019, Sevilla will have a new district with more than 2,000 homes, including not only these projects but also the one in Santa Bárbara.

On Monday, the mayor, Juan Espadas, visited the site where Aedas – which is also responsible for the Cisneo Alto project and the new Ramón y Cajal urbanisations – is starting work on land that it purchased in 2016 from Gabriel Rojas in the East of the city. Specifically, the plots are located between the A-92 and the shopping centre that houses the aforementioned Decathlon store. The access roads have already been built and the Town Hall has granted the relevant licences for the construction of the residential areas, which will include a park measuring seven hectares, a social club and common areas with a swimming pool and padel courts.

For Espadas, “this project is not simply a housing development, but rather the creation of a new neighbourhood in Sevilla, which means that we are at the beginning of the post-crisis and we have left behind the black hole in the construction sector”. The area of expansion is destined for “established families who want a more comfortable environment at a good price”, explains the mayor. The regional director of Aedas, Diego Chacón, highlight that these homes will cost between €120,000 and €150,000, and will be financed by Banco Santander and constructed by San José. The first tower, which will have 142 homes, will be handed over within a year. And from then, the area will come to life continuously in search of a clear objective that the major himself has admitted: “The registration of citizens (‘empadronamiento’) in the city will be activated again”.

Original story: ABC Sevilla (by Alberto García Reyes)

Translation: Carmel Drake

New Build Homes Return to La Moraleja Thanks to Miguel Ángel Ruiz

9 January 2018 – Eje Prime

New build homes are returning to La Moraleja. The exclusive residential complex in Madrid has expanded its community with the incorporation of 100 homes corresponding to the Camino Ancho 2 development, a project led by the businessman Miguel Ángel Ruiz, through the company ‘Universal de Negocio e Inversiones’, which he owns jointly with Carlos Cutillas (50% each). The keys for these properties are expected to be handed over during the coming months.

The businessman from Soria, who owns a home in the same urbanisation, acquired, together with Cutillas, the owner of Inmobiliaria Chamartín, land in La Carrascosa, a plot that had been owned until then by Luis Rodríguez Durón, according to El Confidencial.

Ruiz is a player who is backing the Spanish residential sector hard after making his fortune in Mexico, where he emigrated to when he was young in search of work. A successful man on the other side of the pond, the property developer owns several assets in the Aztec country, including The Point, a complex of homes, offices and businesses in the Mexican capital.

Similarly, the businessman is also a partner of Dunas Capital in the development of its recently created real estate company, Viveland. The agreement between those two parties includes several purchase options over the plots of land located around an urbanisation in Alcalá de Henares, in Madrid, where the company could build almost 350 homes.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Dunas Capital’s RE Arm Creates Property Developer Viveland

5 January 2018 – Eje Prime

Dunas Capital is immersing itself even further into its real estate business. The financial group led by former executives of Banco Santander and Aviva is betting on the property developer segment with the launch of Viveland.

This new venture from Dunas is currently constructing 53 homes in the Madrilenian town of Alcalá de Henares, according to El Confidencial. Nevertheless, the agreement includes several purchase options over the land surrounding that urbanisation, which would allow Dunas Capital to promote around 350 homes.

Dunas has financing amounting to €1 billion to carry out various operations in Spain. Viveland has been created out of that investment and there are plans afoot to launch other types of companies across various sectors.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Real Club Valderrama’s Members Buy The Golf Course For €28M

31 October 2017 – Expansión

La Zagaleta group, headquartered in London and created by the Spaniard Enrique Pérez Flores, has reached an agreement with the members of the Real Club Valderrama to sell them the Valderrama company, owner of the famous Valderrama Golf Course, located in Sotogrande (Cádiz). The members of Real Club Valderrama will buy the golf course for €28 million, the same amount the current owners paid for the asset when they bought it. Valderrama’s members had initiated an arbitration process, but that will be suspended as a result of this agreement.

In January 2016, La Zagaleta group, owner of the urbanisation of the same name, located in Benahavía (Málaga), bought the Valderrama group for €40 million. A year and a half later, it got rid of the sports facilities, the clubhouse, several residential plots and the Valderrama Golf brands, following months of negotiations, where the club members initiated an arbitration process claiming their preferential acquisition right over the course had been forfeited.

Arbitrage

“In March, Real Club Valderrama initiated an arbitration process against La Zagaleta, on the basis that we consider that we were cheated out of our preferential acquisition right by the operation that was closed in 2015. During the course of this process, we initiated a negotiation and the resultant agreement is that the members will pay the same amount that  La Zagaleta paid to the fund MGI”, explains Javier Reviriego, Director General of Real Club Valderrama talking to Expansión. In this way, for the majority stake (94%), the club’s members (around 450 people from 40 different nationalities) will pay €28 million. “The purchase of the shares in Valderrama SA has been made for €23 million, plus debt of €5 million”, he said.

The club will finance half the operation with contributions of €30,000 per member, whilst the rest will be covered by a mortgage loan and own funds from the sports entity, founded in 1985. “We will continue investing and doing everything possible to ensure that Valderrama has the best golf facilities in the world. I also think that being the owners of the golf course strengthens our position in the sector as a private club, a unique model in Europe”, he said.

Over the last 30 years, the club’s members have operated the facilities through a rental agreement: “Being the owners of the course was a historical revindication for the members. The framework contract and lease agreement that regulated the relationship of the club with the ownership of the facilities did not grant full independence to the club’s board of directors to make decisions or establish the club’s strategic direction. There are also financial motives; the club used to pay a high rent and it is more profitable for us to invest in the asset”.

Meanwhile, following the sale, La Zagaleta will focus on the development of the Valderrama 2 urbanisation. It will be constructed on a plot spanning 220 hectares of residential use located just a stone’s throw from the luxury urbanisation in Sotogrande. There, La Zagaleta plans to build a luxury urbanisation with around 200 homes, priced between €3 million and €5 million, as well as a new golf course and hotel.

The operation in Valderrama follows the sale of other golf courses linked to urban developments, such as the purchase of Sotogrande by Orion, says Pablo Callejo, Director of Alternative Assets at the consultancy firm CBRE.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz/Lucía Junco)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Torreblanca Golf Attracts Swedish, Belgian & Chinese Investors

18 October 2017 – El Periódico Mediterráneo

Swedish, Belgian and Chinese investment funds have all expressed an interest in developing the Doña Blanca Golf de Torreblanca project, whose foundations were initially approved again by the Town Hall (of Torreblanca) last Tuesday, during an extraordinary plenary session. The expectation is that the project will be awarded at the beginning of 2018 and may become a reality in 2022.

In fact, the government’s team says that even before launching the tender for the program, it already has half a dozen companies and investors on the table, who have registered their interest in the urban planning project. Three of them are backed by foreign capital.

In the opinion of the councillor responsible for Town Planning, Rosana Villanueva, that fact reflects the interest that the golf project has sparked. The plan is to maintain intact the characteristics of the initial program, created in 2005, and for the project to be put out for tender for around €58 million, which will represent a saving of €3.5 million with respect to the initial plan, which exceeded €61 million in total.

The PAI (‘Programa de Actuación Integral’ or Comprehensive Action Program) is considering extending the site by 1,910,254 m2, with 600,000 m2 allocated to the 18-hotel golf course and an urbanised area spanning 1,233,255 m2, with 4,410 homes, as well as hotels, tennis courts, a football pitch, shopping centres, 125,000 m2 of green space, a promenade and a coastal park measuring 80,000 m2. And the companies have expressed their interest in the complete development.

In fact, the PAI is one of the Town Hall’s priorities. That has been highlighted by the socialist mayor, Josefa Tena, since the beginning of her term and, now past the half-way point, she is continuing to back the golf course as a generator of employment and driver of tourism in the municipality. Its launch would represent one of the highest aspirations of the local government, “along the creation of employment”.

“Moreover, it would foster tourism and develop a coastal space with green, sustainable and controlled urbanism. Given its location and proximity to the airport “the seasonality of local tourism could be evened out; moreover, it will be the only beachfront golf course (in the country), which makes it a very attractive prospect indeed”, said the mayor.

The document to be presented to the plenary session will include an appendix with the foundations for the tender work for the construction firms, in order to speed up the process and ensure that the megaproject is given the green light as soon as possible.

Original story: El Periódico Mediterráneo (by Merche Martinavarro)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Brits Are Buying Homes On The Costa Del Sol Once Again

13 October 2017 – Inmodiario

The latest figures from the property developer Taylor Wimpey España relating to the sale of homes in urbanisations on the Costa del Sol to British citizens are encouraging. During the third quarter of the year, the number of citizens from the United Kingdom buying homes in developments such as Botanic, in the Reserva del Alcucruz, and Horizon Golf, in La Cala de Mijas, increased considerably, to make Brits the top-ranking nationality in terms of the sales made by Taylor Wimpey España.

Brits accounted for 19% of the buyers of Taylor Wimpey residential homes on the Costa del Sol, followed by Belgian citizens in second place and Swedes in third place.

For the Director of Sales and Marketing at the company in Spain, Marc Pritchard, “this data is a clear sign that citizens from the UK are continuing to choose the residential areas that Taylor Wimpey is creating when it comes to acquiring holiday homes”.

Moreover, adds Pritchard, another piece of data is noteworthy: the Brits who are buying holiday homes on the Spanish coast are very aware of sustainability and the environment and so prefer to invest a bit more in homes that fulfil those requirements (…).

This means that homes are being conceived to ensure minimum energy consumption and maximum environmental protection, through the use of solar panels, thermal insulation and maximum acoustic-protecting materials. As such, these homes have the highest energy rating in the market (“B”). In the same way, green spaces are becoming particularly important in the Botanic development, and the ecological environment of the Mediterranean pine tree wood is being further strengthened by the creation of a botanical garden for the enjoyment of all the neighbours.

These credentials that are respectful of the environment increase ownership values to 38%, according to CBRE Residencial, a company that also says that 82% of citizens from the United Kingdom are willing to pay more for a sustainable home.

The Botanic urbanisation on the Costa del Sol comprises 92 bright and spacious 3-bedroom homes, featuring large south-facing terraces. The 4-storey buildings have spacious penthouses with modern designs and spectacular solariums from where residents can enjoy the sunrise and sunset, with panoramic views over Los Arqueros Golf course, the sea and Gibraltar. The asking prices for these homes start at €365,000 (…).

Original story: Inmodiario (by Carmen Durán)

Translation: Carmel Drake

La Zagaleta’s Owners To Build Luxury Homes For Millennials

30 April 2017 – Expansión

Located in the municipality of Castellar, in Cádiz, alongside the exclusive urbanisations of Sotogrande and Valderrama, the latest estate in the area is awaiting approval from the Town Hall to become a modern and luxurious residential resort. The site will also include a first-rate golf course and a five-star hotel. The project in question is Valderrama 2, an estate with a surface area spanning 220 hectares, which was acquired by the company La Zagaleta Limited last year.

The firm, which is headquartered in London and which owns another luxury residential development, known as La Zagaleta, purchased the Valderrama group, the company that owns this plot, as well as a golf course of the same name, regarded as the best in Spain and one of the best in the world, in an operation worth €40 million (…) in December 2015 (…).

The new project from the owners of La Zagaleta, considered the most luxurious urbanisation in Europe and located in the Malagan municipality of Benahavís, will also be for millionaires, but with certain differences. “In La Zagaleta, there are two lines: one with homes worth between €5 million and €8 million and the other with homes worth more than €11 million, which is the line we are promoting. Valderrama 2 is a different concept, its homes are worth between €3 million and €5 million, which buyers can easily finance if they want”, said Ignacio Pérez, Director of Business Development at La Zagaleta.

An integrated resort

Similarly, the new development, which will have a maximum of 200 homes, with plots of between 2,000 m2 and 3,000 m2, will be targeting a different public to La Zagaleta. (…). “The idea is to build homes without fences, like in Los Angeles or Florida, where you can see without being seen, which will incorporate the latest developments to meet the demands of the millennials”, he added. The objective of La Zagaleta is to sell these homes in advance so that its clients can personalise them during their construction. (…).

La Zagaleta expects construction to begin within three years. (…).

In total, the group expects to invest €200 million of its own funds developing the urbanisation over a ten year period, although that figure could rise to more than €400 million. “We will get on with building the homes, at a rate of around 20 per year, for example. The logical thing is to finance them over the long term so that buyers can easily subrogate those loans and purchase the properties using minimal own funds”.

Original story: Expansión (by Rocío Ruiz)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Fogesa Sells 64,000 sqm Of Buildable Land In Madrid

28 September 2016 – Inmodiario

Aguirre Newman has advised the Fogesa Group on the El Cañaveral operation, involving the sale of more than 64,000 sqm of buildable land (in Madrid). It represents one of the largest residential land transactions to be carried out in Spain in recent years.

The operation, advised by Aguirre Newman, was divided into two lots, containing five plots in total. The plots were located across two blocks, with an estimated capacity for 600/650 homes.

This operation represents a milestone in the sector and consolidates the recovery of the property development segment, which has been gathering steam for around 18 months now. Through this operation, Aguirre Newman reinforces its position as the leading advisor in land sales, following the sale at the beginning of the year of another major land portfolio: five plots in Valdebebas, owned by Parque Empresarial del Olivar, which were sold for more than €50M.

The Fogesa Group was instructed to conduct the orderly liquidation of assets that were previously owned by the cooperative Puerta de O’Donnell, which it has undertaken successfully thanks to the organisation of the 1,000 shareholders and negotiations with the creditors, who have positively valued the offers received during the sales process led by Aguirre Newman.

This is an interesting investment in an urbanisation…that is expected to be one of the main focuses of attraction in Madrid over the next few years. The area of El Cañaveral, where several developments have already been built, is well connected with the centre of Madrid via the R-3 and M-45 motorways.

Original story: Inmodiario

Translation: Carmel Drake

Inbisa To Renovate Alta Diagonal Building In Barcelona

28 July 2016 – Mis Oficinas

Inbisa, through its construction company BYCO, has been awarded the tender to renovate the urbanisation of the Alta Diagonal building, located on Avenida Diagonal in Barcelona. This office complex belongs to Deka Immobilien, a German investment fund, whose history spans more than 40 years, specialising in real estate assets, managing 293 properties in 23 countries.

This renovation, which will be performed on a surface area covering 2,000 sqm, completes a series of improvements and refurbishments that Deka Immobilien has performed on the building and its surrounding area, with the aim of strengthening its position in the prime office market in Barcelona. To that end, it is going to renovate the quality of the materials in the property, to bring the urbanisation into line with the rest of the complex.

“The construction work is going to be carried out within a short timeframe of 2 months, taking advantage of a quiet period for the property. The work will cover a surface area of 2,000 sqm, whereby completing the renovation work already carried out at the entrances and on the façade, as well as in the private and public urbanisation to the rear, in Avenida Sarrià”, said the Heads of Inbisa.

Original story: Mis Oficinas

Translation: Carmel Drake

Sareb Is Selling The Assets It Inherited From Polaris

7 May 2015 – Expansión

The company has appointed N+1 to manage the sale of 3 golf courses, two 5-star hotels and several residential estates.

Sareb wants to cut its ties with one of the ‘great chapters’ of the real estate bubble as soon as possible. In the last few days, the company chaired by Jaime Echegoyen has started the process to dispose of the property it inherited from Polaris World, by putting a portfolio with a nominal value of €500 million up for sale. The market price may amount to less than half of that value.

The portfolio comprises three golf courses, two five-star hotels and several residential complexes, built in Murcia by Polaris, which Sareb inherited in the form of property developer loans from Banco Valencia and Bankia. The sale also includes loans with real estate collateral that have not yet been foreclosed.

Sareb has appointed N+1 to manage the process and according to sources at funds consulted by Expansión, the firm has already distributed information to potential investors (corresponding to the so-called) Project Birdie.

The assets and loans up for sale come from Inversiones en Resorts del Mediterráneo (IRM), a company created in 2009 by Bancaja, Banco de Valencia, Popular and CAM to manage the Polaris assets that were left after the property developer’s debt was restructured.

Sareb’s decision to sell has generated confusion for the other two creditors, Banco Popular and Sabadell – following the latter’s absorption of CAM – because they were not notified (in advance) and because they believe that the best way of maximising the value from IRM’s assets is a block sale, given that they comprise a single residential estate and six golf courses. As a result, it is likely that these entities will contact Sareb over the next few days with a view to repositioning the sale.

When IRM was created, the company held assets worth €991 million, although by the end of 2013 – the latest available accounts – they had deteriorated (in value) by almost €500 million. The owners of its capital are Sabadell – covered by CAM’s EPA (Asset Protection Scheme or Esquema de Protección de Activos) – Bankia, CaixaBank and Popular.

Original story: Expansión (by Jorge Zuloaga)

Translation: Carmel Drake