Tag: VidaNova Parc

Lar Raises Dividend by 67% and Opens the Door to Corporate Operations

9 October 2018

The socimi will distribute €75 million in 2019 / The socimi will book 115 million euros with the delivery of its luxury flat development Lagasca, in Madrid, and roughly 110 million euros from the sale of its three office buildings.

Lar España is moving forward with its plan to focus on the retail market and pay-outs to its shareholders. The company, which expects to deliver the homes in the Lagasca99 luxury development (Madrid) before the end of the year, will raise its dividend to 75 million euros in 2019, compared to the 45 million euros it distributed last May and the €30 million in 2017.

The socimi will propose a dividend equivalent to 5% of the value of its assets (NAV), which will imply an outlay of about €50 million. The company will also pay an extraordinary dividend in 2019 associated with the sale of Lagasca99 for about in €25 million.

The president of Lar España, José Luis del Valle, highlighted, yesterday on Investor Day, the socimi’s evolution and the fulfilment of its strategic plan. “In a few months, we are going to become a socimi focused exclusively on retail. With approximately 550,000 square meters of commercial space, we are the largest operator in Spain, and we also have a specialised manager who is committed to the project.”

Sale of assets

Del Valle recalled that, of the disinvestments of non-strategic assets planned for the years to 2021, the company has already executed 47% in one year for €276 million. Another €115 million will be added to that figure from for the delivery of Lagasca99 and the sale of the three office buildings that the company still has in its portfolio – two in Madrid and one in Barcelona -, which will take place between this year and the beginning of 2019, for about €110 million. As Expansión announced on October 5: “Disinvestments are taking place above the purchase price and with capital gains compared to the last valuation.”

At the same time, it will continue with its investment plan with the purchase of assets for approximately €250 million. Lar bought the Rivas Futura business park in Madrid for €62 million and the Parque Abadía shopping mall in Toledo for €14 million. “We will continue to take advantage of opportunities and, where appropriate, we will address new developments such as Vidanova Parc, in Sagunto, which opened in September and O Lagoh, in Sevilla, which will open in mid-2019,” Miguel Pereda, board member and managing director of Grupo Lar.

Regarding future corporate operations, Del Valle recalled that Lar “is in the market and attractive.” He added: “I think the best thing for the shareholder is the execution of the current business plan, but we are in the market and we can evaluate buyer interest at any time.” Among the shareholders of Lar España, the manager Pimco stands out (19.6%), along with Group Lar (its manager, with 10%); and Franklin Templeton (7.9%).

Regarding potentially negative changes to the tax regime governing socimis, Del Valle found the enactment of such a measure to be unlikely: “There is no point in undoing a formula that has worked and is not part of the problem.”

Original Story: Expansión – Rebeca Arroyo

Translation: Richard Turner

Vidanova Parc Shopping Mall to be Inaugurated on September 27

10 August 2018

The official inauguration of Vidanova Parc is scheduled for September 27, according to Lar España Real Estate’s project director, José Antonio García. The shopping centre will thus open to the public on the last weekend of September. However, the new shopping centre, the most important one between Valencia and Castellón, is already operating on a partial basis, since Leroy Merlin opened its doors to the public on June 22 to take advantage of the summer months, which are some of the most important, in terms of sales, for the French multinational.

Mr García highlighted the fact that 100% of the stores have already been allocated to different operators. As has been reported, Vidanova Parc will have about 40 top-flight brands, including Leroy Merlin, Decathlon, C&A, Worten, Urban Planet, Yelmo Cinemas, Norauto, Fifty Factory, Conforama, Casa y Más y Más, guaranteeing a well-rounded commercial offering encompassing sports, DIY, fashion, entertainment and leisure. There will also be a food hall, with restaurateurs such as Grupo Vips (Ginos and Smart VIPs), Burger King, KFC, Lizarrán, Volapié and Pans & Company, among others.

The stores will be dispersed among the more than 45,000 square meters of gross lettable area at the complex, which occupies a total of 120,000 square meters, including parking for more than 2,350 vehicles.

Lar España Real Estate stated that Vidanova Parc has an excellent location, considering that nearly 250,000 people live close to the shopping centre, and also factoring in the thousands of tourists who spend their vacations in the region.

The shopping centre underwent a total investment of some 93 million euros. Lar España Real Estate contributed €53 million, while different operators contributed the rest. One of the larger secondary investors was Leroy Merlin, which opened an 8,000-m2 store within a 10,000-m2 plot of land, investing 17 million euros.

Inauguration initially slated for 2012

On February 9, 2012, at the offices of the company Alser, Julián Castelblanque and José Antonio García, a press conference was held to present a project for the then-named Cruce de Caminos Shopping Centre, whose opening was scheduled for 2014. However, the project had to overcome all sorts of obstacles and complications that eventually tripled the time needed to open the mall, because instead of 2014, it will finally be inaugurated in 2018, four years later.

Original Story: Eleconomico.es

Translation: Richard Turner

C&W: New Retail Park Openings in 2018 Set to Exceed Those Registered in 2017 by Five-Fold

7 June 2018 – Eje Prime

Out-of-town retail parks are seducing the sector. Planned openings of retail parks in Spain this year span a surface area of 180,000 m2, which represents an almost five-fold increase compared to the 38,000 m2 registered in 2017, according to data analysed by the real estate consultancy firm Cushman&Wakefield. Specifically, the investment volume over the last 12 months in this segment amounted to €650 million, with a prime yield of 5%.

During this period, the Vidanova Parc project, in Sagunto (Community of Madrid) is the largest planned opening for the year with a gross leasable area of 45,000 m2, followed by the Torrevillage retail park (Zaragoza), with 35,000 m2 and Jaén Plaza (Jaén), with 29,000 m2. In addition, a further seven retail parks, with a combined GLA of more than 10,000 m2 are in the pipeline.

The consultancy firm has identified an increase in the demand for secondary retail parks in light of the shortage of available prime locations, greater activity in the home and decoration sectors and the consolidation of omnichannel sales

In this way, the firm highlights traditional operators such as Leroy Merlin, Ikea, Media Markt and Maison du Monde, which have expanded their presence towards the centre of cities in spaces measuring between 1,500 m2 and 4,000 m2, in search of more urban demand, with new ways of consumption and a lower dependence on cars.

On the other hand, rents remain stable in both prime and secondary retail parks. Thus, in Madrid, they amount to €21.50/m2/month and in Barcelona, they cost €18/m2/month for prime parks.

Original story: Eje Prime 

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lar España Secures Financing To Build Vidanova Parc Shopping Centre

22 September 2017 – Observatorio Inmobiliario

Lar España Real Estate has signed an agreement for the financing of the Vidanova Parc shopping centre located in Sagunto (Valencia). Under the terms of the contract, CaixaBank has granted the Socimi a €24 million loan to fund the construction of the shopping centre.

Building work on the shopping centre started in August last year, once the necessary preliminary phases had been completed to clean, prepare and urbanise the land. Vidanova Parc is expected to open its doors during the first half of 2018. The shopping centre will have a surface area of 120,000 m2, of which 44,252 m2 will be dedicated to retail and leisure. The centre will also have a car park with space for more than 2,300 vehicles.

Lar España says that more than 85% (of the space) at Vidanova Parc has already been leased. Specifically, the shopping centre’s future tenants include Leroy Merlin, Decathlon, C&A, Worten, Norauto, Burger King, Fifty Factory, Yelmo Cines and Urban Planet, along with another 30 brands to complement the food, sport, DIY, fashion, entertainment and leisure offering.

Sergio Criado, CFO at Lar España, highlighted his “satisfaction at having secured this new financing agreement, which is one of several to have been signed over the last few months, and which demonstrates the appeal of Lar España’s properties. In the case of Vidanova Parc, it also represents support for what is going to be one of the most important shopping centres in the region”.

Lar España’s investment in the project will amount to €53 million in total, in addition to the €40 million that the operators moving into the shopping centre are planning to invest. The complex will generate 1,000 jobs in total, split between direct and indirect roles, and the construction phase will create another 200 jobs.

Lar España Real Estate currently owns 31 real estate assets, whose value amounts to €1,448.2 million, of which €1,040.8 million corresponds to shopping centres, €178.6 million to office buildings, €83.3 million to logistics assets and €145.4 million to assets under construction, such as Vidanova Parc.

Original story: Observatorio Inmobiliario

Translation: Carmel Drake

Lar España Invests €53M In Shopping Centre In Sagunto

29 September 2016 – Mis Locales

Lar España Real Estate has presented its plans for “VidaNova Parc”, a new project in which it plans to invest €53 million and which will open its doors in 2018.

VidaNova Parc has been presented with a surface area of 120,000 sqm, of which 44,000 sqm corresponds to the gross leasable area and the rest to open spaces, roads, gardens and parking spaces. It is being created to bridge a gap in the current market and will become a unique shopping centre and family leisure complex in its immediate environment. Around 250,000 inhabitants live in its catchment area (…).

Lar España’s investment in the project is expected to amount to €53 million, in addition to another €40 million that the operators moving into the shopping centre will have to invest. The complex will open its doors in 2018.

The site has a leasable surface area of 44,000 sqm.

With the launch of the construction work at VidaNova Parc, the first operators in the main consumer sectors have already been confirmed, including Leroy Merlín, Decathlon, C&A, Worten, Norauto, Burger King and Fifty Factory (Cortefiel Group). They will be joined by more than thirty brands….in this new shopping centre and leisure park. In addition, the centre will have 2,300 parking spaces.

José Manuel Llovet, Head of the Retail Area at Lar España Real Estate, has highlighted the strong presence of the company in the country through its ten shopping and leisure centres and the two projects that it has under construction. “Our mission, which is a major business priority, is to consolidate our activity in Spain; we want to grow with it, generate wealth, promote employment, and whereby boost the sector and innovate in the field of shopping and leisure”.

Original story: Mis Locales

Translation: Carmel Drake