Tag: Villaverde

Hines Invests in Two Last-Mile Logistics Assets in Villaverde

8 October 2019 – Hines, the world’s fourth-largest real estate fund by volume of assets under management, has finalised its first acquisition in the logistics sector in Spain, as the growth of e-commerce continues to roil the market.

The US fund has acquired two last-mile logistics assets in Villaverde, on the outskirts of Madrid, from Allegra. Allegra hired Knight Frank to lead the sale of a portfolio consisting of two warehouses in Villaverde and a plot of land in San Fernando de Henares. Hines paid 20 million euros.

Both warehouses have a 10-year leasing contract with the logistics operator Ontime. The two units have a surface area of ​​9,798 and 7,676 square meters, respectively.

Original Story: El Confidencial – Ruth Ugalde / Elena Sanz

Adaptation/Translation: Richard D. K. Turner

Segro Purchases 44,500 m2 of Land for Industrial Development in Madrid

11 October 2018 – Eje Prime

Segro is increasing its commitment to the Spanish logistics sector. The British Socimi, which specialises in the industrial segment, has purchased 44,500 m2 of land on which it is going to build two urban distribution centres in Madrid.

The first logistics space is going to be located in the south of the Spanish capital. The centre, spanning a surface area of 33,500 m2, will be located in the district of Villaverde, an area that is home to multinationals such as Telefónica, Repsol and Air Liquide.

The Socimi is also planning to build a second warehouse measuring 11,000 m2 in the Madrilenian municipality of Coslada, where it already owns a business park. The company has chosen that location due to its proximity to Barajas airport, the centre of the Spanish capital and motorways such as the A-2 and the M-40.

This operation reinforces the good times that the logistics sector is enjoying in Spain, driven by the rise in e-commerce in the country. Not in vain, in 2017, the sector achieved an investment record, exceeding €1.5 billion.

With demand constantly growing, above all due to the arrival of international funds and investment firms that are keen to enter the logistics segment, encouraged by the high yields and stability, operators are also looking for land in the last mile space to respond to current demands. That means the development of sites on the outskirts of large cities, with assets that are no more than 50km away from the city centre.

Original story: Eje Prime

Translation: Carmel Drake

Vivenio and Aquila Capital sign asset management agreement for Spanish real estate portfolio

4 October 2018

Aquila Capital, a Hamburg-based investment manager, has signed an agreement with Vivenio, a real estate investment trust (REIT) managed by APG and Renta Corporación, for asset management services for a residential portfolio in Spain.

The agreement covers property monitoring, letting management, finance and budget controlling, business reporting, cash management and general administration for a portfolio of over EUR200M and nearly 1,100 housing units.

The units, being developed by AQ Acentor, Aquila Capital’s real estate developer in Spain, are in Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga. They include both subsidised and private housing units at various stages of construction that will be transferred progressively up to 2021.

The developments in Madrid consist of four residential complexes in the district of Villaverde and will contain more than 500 subsidised rental housing units with a 15-year lease. The Barcelona complex, located in the municipality of Sant Adrià del Besòs, will have more than 100 rental housing units. The Málaga development will consist of five complexes with a total of more than 400 rental housing units.

All the developments will have common areas and additional facilities to improve the quality of life for the residents, including co-working spaces, pools, gyms and other such amenities.

This is Vivenio’s first turnkey project and it secures an important medium- and long-term portfolio for the REIT. It also broadens Vivenio’s social and private housing proposition, underlining its leading role in the sector. Furthermore, it marks the entry of Renta Corporación and APG’s REIT to the Andalusia market, having previously performed the bulk of its operations in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca.

This latest transaction means that Vivenio, which benefits from Renta Corporación’s extensive experience in the Spanish residential market, has now invested more than EUR650 million since its launch and will manage more than 2,900 housing units by 2021.

José María Cervera, Corporate General Manager of Renta Corporación, says: “This transaction will greatly expand our portfolio and signifies both our first turnkey investment and entry to new geographical areas. It also marks a major step forward in Vivenio’s growth and investment strategy, which will lead to more acquisitions that will be formalised over the coming months.”

Aquila Capital operates independently as a developer in the Spanish market through its brand AQ Acentor. The residential projects include subsidised and private housing units in the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga and Valencia. AQ Acentor is one of the largest developers of residential land in Spain and one of the few aimed at institutional investors.

“The Spanish real estate market is highly attractive to institutional investors and offers above-average profitability, especially new construction. This is further supported by a growing rent culture and stable economic growth. We are aware that there is an increasing number of investors following us into this interesting market and are convinced that our extensive experience and local presence is key to be successful in this market,” says Sven Schoel, CEO of AQ Acentor.

Property Funds World

 

Lar España Sells Retail Assets to French Fund Pierre Plus for €33M

13 March 2018 – Expansión

The Socimi Lar España has sold some commercial assets to the French investment fund Pierre Plus SCPI for €33.2 million. Specifically, the firm has sold two out-of-town stores in the Nuevo Alisal retail park in Santander (pictured above) and a commercial building in Villaverde (Madrid).

Original story: Expansión

Translation: Carmel Drake

‘InmoGlacier’ & ‘Aquila Capital’ Awarded VPO Plots In Villaverde

2 July 2015 – El Mundo

The company InmoGlacier and the investment fund Aquila Capital (under the joint venture Plainfield Spain S.L. created for this purpose) will lead the major VPO (social housing) transaction in Villaverde. The State Public Business Land Company (la ‘Sociedad Estatal Pública Empresarial del Suelo’ or Sepes), which reports into the Ministry of Development, has awarded the large package of land – nine plots with space for around 1,200 VPO homes – to these two firms, after Sepes put out to tender the area in the former Central Park of the Engineers for development (…).

In the end, the land has been awarded in exchange for a cash payment of €44.93 million (excluding tax), i.e. €600,00 above the tender starting price, which was set at €44.31 million. This major operation demonstrates the renewed interest in residential development in the south of the capital.

The nine plots sold by Sepes occupy a total area of 52,500 m2 of land and 120,425 m2 of buildable space for the construction of more then 800 VPO homes for sale and a further 400 VPO homes for rent “with the same characteristics and build level as those for sale”.

The heads of InmoGlacier and Aquila, who have released information about the project, describe it as “the most ambitious project in Madrid, due to its size; and the most innovative and social, due to its concept”. “The numbers and magnitude of this investment are unmatched by any other urban development in Madrid”, says the sources.

According to InmoGlacier and Aquila Capital, the future housing developments will be completed in nine blocks – three for rent – and will have swimming pools, gyms, sports areas, padel courts and extensive green and recreational areas, as well as shops and a range of equipment and services, including a nursery and supermarkets, which will trade with different operators. (…).

The project will involve investment of almost €200 million, for the construction of buildings with garages and storage rooms, as well as the design of the common areas, sports facilities and shops.

InmoGlacier and Aquila plan to begin construction work at the beginning of 2016 and to complete it in the spring of 2017. In October of this year, they expect to open an information point occupying a space of more than 300 m2 on the site itself, where people will be able to find out more information about the housing project and its facilities. “This project will be an example for the sector”, say its developers.

Original story: El Mundo (by Jorge Salido Cobo)

Translation: Carmel Drake

Idealista: Rental Prices Rose By 1.8% In Madrid In Q1

8 May 2015 – El Confidencial

The property crisis; the difficulties faced by thousands of citizens when it comes to buying a home; and the havoc wreaked by evictions have all resulted in a significant boost to the (residential) rental market in Spain. Over the last seven years, many citizens and families have been forced out of the property market and, given their need or desire to become independent or start a family, their only exit has been through the home rental market.

Thus, although owned homes still win by a landslide over rented homes – 78% to 22%, i.e. a very similar level to the one seen at the end of the 1980s – the fact is that in recent years, the balance has tipped a little less towards the property side and although, many experts consider that it is unlikely that we will reach the levels seen in other parts of Europe, where rental properties account for 50% of the residential market in some countries, it is clear that something is changing. “The rental market is here to stay and not just as a lifestyle option, but also as an investment”, says Fernando Encinar, Head of Research at idealista.com.

The rental market in the Community of Madrid is showing the first signs of recovery, as too is the sale and purchase market. Similarly, some areas are sparking greater interest than others in terms of demand, which, in turn, is starting to create a certain amount of tension in terms of prices.

The differences between neighbourhoods are clear. It does not cost the same to rent a flat in the centre of the capital or in the neighbourhoods of Chamberí and Salamanca, where the price per square metre is around €14/m2 (€1,120 for an 80m2 flat) as it does in Villaverde, Carabanchel or Puente de Vallecas, where the price per square metre barely exceeds 8€ (640€ for an 80m2 flat).

These price differences are explained, in part, by the location of the homes – clearly, it does not cost the same to live in the centre of the city as it does in the suburbs – but also due to the excess supply, in places such as Carabanchel and Vallecas, and the strong demand, in areas such as Sanchinarro and Las Tablas, where the experts detect a lot of activity due to the presence of Telefónica and the future arrival of BBVA.

(….)

The tension in terms of rental prices is palpable. Madrid ended the winter with a quarterly increase in rental prices of 1.8%, taking the average price per square metre in the capital to €11.60, however, that represents a cumulative decrease of 15.8% from its record high of €13.80/m2 in 2008.

Moreover, during the first three months of the year, the increase in rental prices was generalised, with rises in almost every district in Madrid, with the exception of Villa de Vallecas and the neighbourhood of Salamanca, according to the data from idealista.com, which also reflects significant increases in the districts of Barajas (5.8%), Retiro (4.7%) and Hortaleza (3.6%).

(….)

Original story: El Confidencial (by Elena Sanz)

Translation: Carmel Drake