HB Reavis secures four new clients in Warsaw
HB Reavis, a leading commercial property developer operating in Central and Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom and in Turkey, has signed four new lease agreements for retail and service space at two of its Warsaw office schemes. A branch of the popular Zdrofit gym network will open at Gdański Business Center II towards the end of September, while Ikano Bank, Carrefour Express grocery store and Gorąco Polecam Nowakowski bakery are soon to launch in the Postępu 14 office building, which was completed last August.
Zdrofit is a fast-growing network of Warsaw-based gyms. The first venue opened in 2005, with 11 now spread across the city. Zdrofit fitness clubs are very popular on account of their broad offering of classes, modern workout equipment and convenient locations. Zdrofit will occupy over 1,500 sq m in the building D of Gdański Business Center II, to be commissioned in the second quarter of this year. The client was assisted in its negotiations by the international consultancy CBRE.
‘This is the second lease agreement signed between HB Reavis and the Zdrofit network, having previously opened a fitness club together at the Konstruktorska Business Center. Now both tenants and local residents of the Gdański Business Center will be able to enjoy the Zdrofit facilities in Muranów as well. Such a professional and popular fitness club is a fantastic addition to the Gdański Business Center complex, and we’ve no doubt that everyone working and living in the vicinity will welcome its arrival,’ said Grzegorz Strutyński, Commercial Director and Member of the Management Board at HB Reavis Poland.
‘It’s great to see a Zdrofit fitness club make an appearance at such a prestigious location. I’m confident that both the employees of Gdański Business Center and the residents of Muranów will be spending a lot of time here, actively improving their health and wellbeing by taking advantage of our broad offering,’ said Jakub Raniszewski, Member of the Management Board at Zdrofit. He added: ‘To date, our interaction with HB Reavis has been impeccable and I am very optimistic for our future together as we build on our relationship and launch this next project.’
Gdański Business Center, which will ultimately deliver nearly 100 000 sq m of modern and comfortable office space to the Warsaw market, is ranked the best-connected office development in Warsaw. It benefits from great accessibility on account of its prime location, situated at the intersection of Andersa and Inflancka streets, just meters from the Dworzec Gdański subway station and near numerous bus and tram stops, the Warszawa Gdańska train station and a Veturilo bike rental outlet.
The Postępu 14 office building, located in the district of Mokotów, has also secured exciting new tenants. Very soon, a Gorąco Polecam Nowakowski bakery and café and a Carrefour Express grocery store will open their doors to customers. Carrefour Express will offer a wide range of carefully selected goods, including takeout and ready meals, as well as basic household essentials. Customers can also take advantage of many additional services, such as the ability to pay bills or recharge their phones. Both venues will occupy 100 sq m of retail space each on the ground floor of the development.
In May 2016, Ikano Bank, part of the family business of IKEA’s founder, will also arrive at the scheme. The Polish branch of this Swedish bank has been operating in the market since 2010 and offers instalment loans for the purchase of IKEA merchandise as well as IKEA Family credit cards. It will occupy nearly 500 sq m on the sixth floor. Ikano Bank was assisted in its negotiations by Knight Frank’s Warsaw Tenant Representation Division.
‘We have been operating in the business district of Mokotów for over five years and value the location on account of its stylish appeal and the fact that so many companies that we deal with on a daily basis are based in the vicinity. We decided to move our headquarters to the Postępu 14 office building mainly because of its excellent location, directly next to bus and tram stops, close to the Fast Urban Railway station and near exits onto the 7 and 79 express ways, as well as the southern Warsaw ring-road. Such privileged access will enable our clients and employees alike to save time commuting, whether by public transportation or car. As a Swedish company, we attach great importance to sustainability therefore environmental friendliness of the building was crucial in the selection process,’ said Sylwester Pedowicz, Country Manager of Ikano Bank in Poland.
The Postępu 14, commissioned for use in August 2015, is the third HB Reavis office scheme to have been completed to date in Warsaw. Owing to its optimum location, convenient access to a broad offering of services and the prime business space, it has attracted wide interest from tenants, with the likes of AstraZeneca, Samsung Electronics Poland and OK System having already committed to office space in the development.
