ECE Real Estate Partners

Strong performance through turbulent times Shopping centers have proven to be a resilient and attractive investment: tenant sales and NOI grow across the portfolio, occupancy rate and occupancy cost ratio are at pre-corona level and better. On an ECE panel discussion about investment opportunities in retail real estate, Volker Kraft discussed the opportunities in the current market environment together with Klaus Severin Schöttmer, Managing Director Special Property Finance, Aareal Bank AG and Henrike Waldburg, FRICS, Member of the Board Union Investment Real Estate GmbH. "In recent years, we've seen a strong return of customers to brick-and-mortar retail, leading to significant sales and rental growth in our portfolio," explained Volker Kraft. “There are exciting years ahead for shopping centers, that are currently valued at historically low levels and the market provides for a growing pipeline of attractive assets for sale. We are exploring market opportunities with anchor investors and new candidates. We have some highly interesting vintage years ahead of us”. We are looking forward to the ECE Real Estate Partners Investors Day in Berlin at the end of June, to which we invite all investors in our private funds to an annual meeting. Stay tuned! #ecerep #investorsday #investment #markets #future

Premiere at the Real Estate Investment Day in Frankfurt For the first time, a panel on hotel investment will be offered at the Real Estate Investment Day organized by Targa Communications on 6 June in Frankfurt. We are represented there by Ascan Kókai who will discuss why the current market opportunities in this European growth sector justify increased capital allocations together with Asli Kutlucan, Marc P. Werner, LL.M. (Miami) and Miguel Martins. . The panel discussion “Why you should include hotel investments in your real estate portfolio” presents the hotel sector to a wider audience and illustrates the attractiveness of hotel investments. The Real Estate Investment Day has a European focus and brings together investment and fund managers from the commercial real estate industry as well as fund initiators and industry consultants. https://lnkd.in/egxGmjbp #reid #realestateinvestmentday #hotel #realestateinvestments

Expansion of Outdoor Sports Area at G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf We're very happy to announce the expansion of our 3,000 m² Outdoor Sports Arena at G3 Shopping Resort in the Vienna region! The new facilities include a versatile sports field for soccer and basketball, which can be converted into an ice skating arena in winter. This expansion completes our outdoor area, which also features pump tracks for testing bikes, skates, and boards, a climbing wall for little adventure seekers, a trail for shoe and equipment testing, and a fun play area for kids. Best of all, all activities are free for visitors. The outdoor area complements the 5,000 m² of new retail formats that opened in June 2023, introducing several sports-related concepts new to the region. To celebrate, we hosted a fantastic Family Fun Weekend with more than 62,000 visitors, marking the start of summer and building excitement for the European Football Championship. The event featured volleyball and soccer tournaments organized with local sports teams, along with engaging activities for all ages. #ecerep #G3ShoppingResort #Vienna

Six re-openings in Szczecin Together with Inditex, we are proud to celebrate six new openings at Galeria Kaskada in Szczecin, Poland. Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, PULL&BEAR and Stradivarius kicked things off in mid-April, followed by ZARA SA at the end of May. The re-opening is part of a significant enlargement of Inditex’s footprint in the centre which has doubled the sales area of the stores from ca. 3,000 to 6,000 square meters. In the future, the new shops will offer an even wider range of products to Galeria Kaskada’s visitors. “We are delighted that the Inditex Group has seized the opportunity to further expand the location's potential. The increase in space is a great commitment to the center. The performance of the first few weeks alone shows that this decision was the right one, footfall is on record levels and our visitors love the expanded offering,” explains center manager Norbert Fijałkowski. Galeria Kaskada, centrally located in the heart of Szczecin, is perceived as the “place to be“ shopping destination in the West Pomeranian region and also attracts German visitors with its range of brands and products. With an area of ca. 45,000 sqm and 137 retail stores, the center has established itself as a quality leader in its large catchment area. #ecerep #realestate #investment #retail #ShoppingCentres

New photovoltaic system as a huge step towards the sustainable future   The Haid Center in the south of the Austrian city Linz is not only a supra-regional shopping attraction, but also an example of sustainability: a photovoltaic system is currently being installed on the roof of the asset, the construction work is in its final stages. This restructuring marks a significant step towards realizing a long-term vision of a sustainable portfolio and demonstrates efforts to maximize the efficiency of this centre. Planning commenced in the summer of 2023, followed by construction starting in October of the same year, set to be operational by April 2024. Since its opening in 1991, the Haid Center Linz has continuously enhanced its appeal through ongoing innovations and increase of stores: Today, the centre comprises 80 stores on a total leasable area of 44,000 square meters. Furthermore, excellent service, good accessibility as well as gastronomic offerings and over 2,500 free of charge parking spaces ensure a customer-friendly shopping experience – now backed up by the sustainable energy concept: we anticipate a substantial reduction in carbon emissions by over 400,00 kg per year. This investment contributes to improve environmental impact while simultaneously enhancing the long-term value of the Haid Center, and ensuring a commitment to a sustainable future. #sustainability #solar #ecerep #investment

The Institutional Money Congress in Frankfurt is just around the corner - and so is our on-site workshop. Frankfurt is once again the venue for a major financial event: the 15th Institutional Money Congress will be taking place at the Congress Center Messe on April 9-10, 2024. Join us at booth no. 6 where our team, including Volker Kraft, Markus Schmitt-Habersack, Christian Müller, Carsten Remmert, Ascan Kókai and Katrin Ewald, will be willingly engage with you. Don't miss our workshop on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, from 14:15 to 15:00, titled "Investment opportunities in the real estate sector in turbulent times." We will dive into the sectors being particularly worthwhile and examine the yields achievable after market price corrections. Furthermore, we will explore sectors that provide the best inflation hedge, and the opportunities arising from ESG considerations. "With historically attractive purchase yields, the market for shopping centers now again offers interesting entry opportunities. We look forward to exchanging ideas with investors at the Institutional Money Congress on April 9/10, 2024, in Frankfurt." says Dr. Volker Kraft, Managing Partner at ECE Real Estate Partners, chairing the workshop. We are eager to explore the dynamic landscape of real estate investment with fellow professionals and investors. See you in Frankfurt for what promises to be an insightful and exciting event. #event #ecerep #investment #ESG #workshop

Construction start for the careful repositioning of historic Hotel Bonvecchiati ensemble in the heart of Venice The heart of the lagoon city is getting a completely refurbished high-end 5-star lifestyle hotel: The redevelopment works for the Hotel Bonvecchiati in Venice have commenced - over the next two years, the hotel just off St. Mark's Square will be created and let to the exclusive Only YOU Hotels brand of the international Palladium Hotel Group. The emblematic hotel project will see the previously independently managed Hotel Bonvecchiati and Palace Bonvecchiati 4-star hotels transformed into a single, contemporary and opulently designed hotel as part of an extensive reconfiguration and upgrade. The two historic hotels Hotel Bonvecchiati and Palace Bonvecchiati will be integrated through the redesign of the ground floor and in future offer a variety of gastronomic outlets that invite passers-by, locals and hotel guests alike. Closed street fronts and net curtains will be a thing of the past. Instead, a revitalized courtyard will offer an oasis of calm to the hotel guest while variety of restaurants, bars, cafés and a bakery will cater to discerning guests and offer a stylish and buzzing ambience throughout the day. The interior design of the hotel is created by LÁZARO ROSA-VIOLÁN STUDIO. The owners, a joint venture led by the ECE Lodging Recovery Fund managed by ECE Real Estate Partners, together with real estate developers SORAVIA and denkmalneu Unternehmensgruppe, are investing around €45 million in the repositioning of the historic hotel property. The opening is scheduled for spring 2026. "The total investment of almost €150 million in the future Only YOU Hotel Bonvecchiati Venice exemplifies the strategy of the hotel fund managed by ECE Real Estate Partners, which focuses on outstanding locations in growth markets and an active value-add strategy." says Ascan Kókai, Principal and Head of Hotels at ECE Real Estate Partners. #hotel #investment #venice #ecerep

Entertainment took centre stage at the grand opening of the UCI Luxe Megalò, marking a significant addition to the vibrant mix of offerings at the Megalò Centro Commerciale in Chieti, Abbruzzo, Italy. This event not only celebrated the unveiling of a fully refurbished multiplex cinema but also signified the pivotal role of entertainment in modern shopping centres. With its diverse array of movies, the entertainment sector enriches the visitor experience, drawing a wide audience and solidifying shopping centres as premier destinations within their catchment areas. The new UCI Luxe in Megalò offers state-of-the-art amenities such as fully reclining seats, cutting-edge cinematic technology, and even a cocktail bar. The grand opening by Uci Italia spa /Odeon & Uci Group unfolded in December of last year with the premiere of "Santocielo," a festive holiday film, followed by an exclusive meet-and-greet session with the movie's stars, the beloved Italian comedic duo Ficarra e Picone. This milestone underscores the attractiveness of Megalò, with its 113 shops, 14 restaurants, and the most recent additions tenants like Primark and the extended ZARA SA, making Megalò the dominant shopping centre in the region of Abruzzo and the prime shopping destination within its catchment area. And action! #ShoppingCentres #ecerep #entertainment #realestate #cinema

Another exciting and eventful MIPIM has come to an end. Enriched by many impressions, talks and impulses, our colleague Christian Müller looks to the future:   ”After a few years with uncertainty (due to Covid, inflation, and increasing interest rates) the real estate industry already sees the light at the end of the tunnel. Although uncertainty is still present, discussions with investors, banks, and advisors are just as positive as our portfolio’s performance.” says Christian Müller, Principal at ECE Real Estate Partners.   We would like to thank our team, the organisers and everyone involved on site for making the event another great meeting of the real estate world.   We can't wait to come back next year from March 10-14, 2025.   #ecerep #mipim #realestate #shoppingcentre

Starting signal for the extension of the Inditex concepts ZARA SA, Bershka , PULL&BEAR, Stradivarius, Massimo Dutti and the introduction of Oysho at Galeria Kaskada in Szczecin! Centrally located in the heart of Szczecin, Galeria Kaskada is one of the leading and most modern shopping centres in the West Pomeranian region. With a well-balanced offer of leading retail brands as well as electronics, hardware and gastronomy, the centre has been established as the quality leader in its large catchment area. The property covers an area of 45,000 sqm with 137 retail shops and is owned by the ECE Progressive Income Growth Fund. The extensive upgrade will bolster the appeal and positioning of the centre. Inditex is set to nearly double its footprint in Galeria Kaskada to over 6,000 sqm, enhancing the product selection and depth of range. Construction is slated for completion by mid 2024. The long-term investment manifests the centre's position as the "place to be" shopping destination in Szczecin and ensures that the centre is ready to benefit from the region's growth. We look forward to the opening! #ecerep #realestate #investment #retail #ShoppingCentres