January 7, 2019, Shanghai – Real estate private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners and consortium partners announced that the firm, through a fund under its management, have acquired four premium Grade A office buildings (Block A, B, C, & D) at Shanghai MixC, 1799 Wuzhong Road in the Minhang District of Shanghai from China Resources Capital Management Ltd.
The project is comprised of four Grade A office blocks, with a total saleable GFA of 60,807 sqm (654,521 sq. ft.). Its office area consists of 56,950 sqm (613,005 sq. ft.) with 3,857 sqm (41,516 sq. ft.) of retail space. The project is situated in the greater Hongqiao area and is at the conjunction of three districts (Changning, Xuhui and Minhang), enjoying excellent transport links from its position on top of the Ziteng Road Metro Station on Metro Line 10 and a shuttle bus service to Hechuan Road Metro Station on Metro Line 9. The office buildings are in close proximity to important business districts, including Hongqiao, Caohejin, Qibao, Xinzhuang, Xujiahui, Zhongshan Park, Gubei and South Shanghai Railway Station, among others, with tenants enjoying the benefit of sophisticated commercial infrastructure at the properties. They are also adjacent to the city’s Korean community, which is an especially attractive location for Korean companies such as Samsung and LG, providing the properties with a strong potential tenant base.
With the development of the high-speed railway significantly reducing travel time, the project’s proximity to Hongqiao Railway Station makes it an ideal office location for companies that are headquartered in other Yangtze River Delta cities but plan to expand to Shanghai and to the rest of the country.
The project is next to Shanghai MixC mall, developed and run by China Resources Land, creating a strong synergy with the office buildings and provides advanced amenity support. The project will offer a diversified income stream with long-term rental and capital appreciation potential in a promising location that is very attractive for office tenants.
Shanghai government has initiated a wide range of policies to facilitate the development of decentralized areas, which in turn stimulates office demand. With tenants looking to move away from central areas in recent years, and thanks to its great accessibility and mature business environment, we are confident that the office buildings will be attractive for tenants that would like an alternative to the high rents in Shanghai’s CBD area.
Humbert Pang, Managing Principal and Head of China for Gaw Capital Partners, said: “Followed by our previous acquisition of SKY SOHO in April 2018, Gaw Capital is confident in acquiring four premium Grade A office buildings (Block A, B, C & D) at Shanghai MixC, which presents an excellent opportunity to capture the growth opportunities arising from the Shanghai Hongqiao Transportation Hub. With the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world’s first import-themed national level expo, and Hongqiao International Trade Forum, being held at National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) in Hongqiao Central Business District, it brings more vibrant commercial activities in the area.”
He added, “The current existing tenancy structure and tenancy mix could be further optimized and upgraded to achieve better overall rental performance. Gaw Capital will enhance the building’s quality and image by applying its unique approach to asset management to provide a better working environment and attract more tenants.”
Gaw Capital’s asset management team will also look to enhance the property through adding innovations to the common areas such as the entrance, lobby and lift lobby, and reshuffling the signage and advertising space so as to enhance its rental performance.
Gaw Capital has over 13 years of experience investing in and/or turning around commercial properties in Greater China, including Hong Kong. The firm successfully transformed and repositioned properties such as 133 Wai Yip Street in Hong Kong, a former 12-storey industrial building turned creative office space; Sky Bridge HQ, a mixed-use project located in the heart of Linkong Economic Park in Shanghai; Pacific Century Place in Beijing, a 170,000 sqm (1.8 million sq. ft.) renovated mixed-use commercial property with two office towers and two serviced apartment blocks on a retail podium; Cross Tower in Shanghai, a 22-storey office with a two-storey retail podium; Ciro’s Plaza in Shanghai, a mixed-use property with a 39-storey office building and a 28,000 sqm (302,000 sq. ft.) retail mall; Plaza 353 in Shanghai, a 40,000 sqm (430,000 sq. ft.) renovated mall with historical heritage status; Popark Plaza in Guangzhou, a 92,400 sqm (994,000 sq. ft.) retail mall connected to the Guangzhou East Railway Station, with high-speed trains to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and access to two major subway lines; and Metropolitan Plaza in Guangzhou, a 88,800 sqm (956,000 sq. ft.) mall located above two subway lines.
