EQT Real Estate signs pre-lease for development of 14.1k sqm education property in Stockholm
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Blackstone Real Estate Completes Acquisition of Premier Lab Office Portfolio from Brookfield Fund
New York, March 12, 2021 – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) today announced that Blackstone Property Partners Life Sciences (“BPP Life Sciences”) has completed its previously announced acquisition of a best‐in‐class, 2.3 million square foot portfolio of lab office buildings from a Brookfield Asset Management real estate fund for $3.4 billion. BPP Life Sciences is Blackstone Real Estate’s long-term, perpetual capital, core+ return life sciences strategy. BPP Life Sciences owns BioMed Realty, Blackstone’s life science real estate portfolio company.
Concurrent with close, Blackstone executed upon the sale of two life sciences assets affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine to Ventas, Inc. Pro forma for the sale, 97% of the portfolio is concentrated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Two thirds of BioMed Realty’s platform, which has an enterprise value of approximately $20 billion, is concentrated in the Boston/Cambridge market, one of the fastest growing lab office submarkets in the country due to its adjacency to world-leading academic institutions and the largest cluster of pharmaceutical companies in the U.S.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Wells Fargo Securities LLC served as financial advisors to Blackstone, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisor. Eastdil Secured served as lead financial advisor to Brookfield, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal advisor. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. also provided financial advisory services to Brookfield in connection with the transaction.
The transaction was announced on December 14, 2020.
About Blackstone Real Estate
Blackstone is a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstone’s real estate business was founded in 1991 and has $187 billion of investor capital under management. Blackstone is one of the largest property owners in the world, owning and operating assets across every major geography and sector, including logistics, multifamily and single-family housing, office, hospitality and retail. Our opportunistic funds seek to acquire undermanaged, well-located assets across the world. Blackstone’s Core+ strategy invests in substantially stabilized real estate globally through regional open-ended funds focused on high-quality assets and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT), a non-listed REIT that invests in U.S. income-generating assets. Blackstone Real Estate also operates one of the leading global real estate debt businesses, providing comprehensive financing solutions across the capital structure and risk spectrum, including management of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT).
Contact
Ilana Mouritzen
Ilana.Mouritzen@Blackstone.com
Tel: (212) 583-5776
HENT is building Aker Tech House
HENT has been awarded a contract to build Aker Tech House for the real estate company Aker Property Group at Fornebu outside Oslo. The project is worth more than NOK 1 billion and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.
The real estate company Aker Property Group is leading the work of developing the Fornebu area outside Oslo, where Aker Tech House will now be built. Akter Tech House is a building of approximately 30,000 sq.m. and a central part in the development of the Fornebu district. The building will primarily consist of offices. Aker Property Group is a well-known customer of HENT, together the companies have worked on projects totaling more than 200,000 sq.m. Aker Tech House is designed by the leading Swedish architectural firm Wingårdhs.
“Through long-term collaboration and involvement at an early stage, we, together with Aker Property Group, have been able to make this project possible, which is one of the most exciting in the Oslo region. This confirms HENT’s position as a preferred partner on large complex projects,” says Christian Johansson Gebauer, Chairman of the Board of HENT and Head of Business Area Construction & Services, Ratos.
For further information:
Christian Johansson Gebauer, Chairman of the Board of HENT and Head of Business Area Construction & Services, Ratos
Phone: +46 8 700 17 00
Helene Gustafsson, Head of IR and Press, Ratos
Phone: +46 70 868 40 50
About Ratos:
Ratos is a business group consisting of 11 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Consumer & Technology and Industry. In total, the companies have SEK 33 billion in sales and EBITA of SEK 2 billion. Our business concept is to develop companies headquartered in the Nordics that are or can become market leaders. We enable independent companies to excel by being part of something larger. People, leadership, culture and values are key focus areas for Ratos. Everything we do is based on Ratos’s core values: Simplicity, Speed in Execution and It’s All About People.
KKR Sells Five UK Student Accommodation Assets For £291m
Under KKR’s ownership, the assets have been developed to meet growing demand for high-quality student accommodation in an underserved market
LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the sale of five major student housing developments across the UK to Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC, a global leader in the investment, development, and management of high-quality rental housing, for £291m.
The five Purpose Build Student Accommodation (PBSA) developments comprise a total of 2,163 units situated in London, Glasgow, Coventry and Bristol, four cities renowned for their higher education institutions. Four of the assets are operational for the 2020/21 academic year, while the asset in Bristol is under construction and due for occupancy in September 2021.
KKR acquired the five PBSA sites in 2018 to develop high-quality, professionally managed accommodation to meet structurally growing demand in a market which continues to be underserved by quality options for student housing. The UK remains one of the leading global destinations for higher education with the benefit of top-ranking universities, with strong forecast growth trends in the university-age demographic in the UK, supported by ongoing demand from international students.
KKR worked closely with Nido Student as operator of the sites to provide best-in-class property management services, having successfully collaborated on student accommodation developments in the Netherlands. The UK sites benefited from Nido’s wealth of experience in thoughtful and innovative design, providing a tailored service from development to operations focused on well-being and student experience.
Seb D’Avanzo, Managing Director in European Real Estate at KKR, said: “These assets have helped to address the growing demand for high-quality accommodation across university hubs in the UK that provide a focus on wellbeing and community for students. We continue to see the UK as a strategically significant market for PBSA, with strong projected demand, and will continue to assess future opportunities to acquire and develop quality assets.”
-ends-
About KKR
KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210218005087/en/
Media Contacts
Alastair Elwen / Alice Neave
Finsbury
+44 (0)20 7251 3801
kkr@finsbury.com
Source: KKR
Investment in Idealista
Oakley Capital (“Oakley”) is pleased to announce that Oakley Capital IV (“Fund IV”) has agreed to make a minority investment in idealista (the “Company”), the leading online real estate classifieds platform in Southern Europe, present in Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Fund IV will invest €175 million alongside the management team of idealista and EQT, who will remain the majority shareholders in the Company.
Fund IV’s investment in idealista will draw upon Oakley’s proven expertise in the online classifieds sector. Oakley has an in-depth understanding of idealista from Oakley Capital Private Equity III (“Fund III”)’s successful sale of Casa.it (“Casa”) to EQT in September 2020, which was subsequently combined with idealista’s Italian operations. The highly synergistic combination with Casa has strengthened the Company’s competitive positioning in Italy and is complementary to idealista’s market leading position in Spain and Portugal.
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Madrid, Spain, idealista supports approximately 40,000 real estate agents and 38 million unique monthly visitors across Southern Europe by providing an online real estate classifieds marketplace for home buyers and sellers. The Company’s online platform and diversified portfolio of digital services, such as CRM tools, data analytics, and online mortgage brokerage, help facilitate efficient real estate transactions, making it a key destination for prospective homeowners and sellers in Spain, Italy, and Portugal. idealista is a clear leader in Spain and Portugal and has a growing presence in Italy, a market where the Company will benefit from Oakley’s previous experience with Casa.
idealista’s underlying market is supported by favourable secular megatrends, such as the increasing penetration of the online classifieds market in Italy, Spain and Portugal as they mature in line with more developed global classifieds markets; the shift from offline to online marketing spend by real estate agents; and the significant network effects driven by the platform’s strong brand recognition.
Jesús Encinar, Founder, Chairman & CEO of idealista, commented:
“We are very excited to partner with EQT and Oakley and look forward to working together during the coming years. EQT and Oakley’s online classifieds and real estate expertise will be of great value for us and key to our fut
ure success. We share a similar culture and passion for growth – a key decision factor for me and my team to partner with them.”
Blackstone Completes Acquisition of Majority Stake in the Largest Logistics Park in China’s Greater Bay Area
HONG KONG, January 20, 2021 – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) today announced that Blackstone Real Estate’s opportunistic funds have completed the previously announced acquisition of a majority stake in the Greater Bay Area’s largest urban logistics park for US$1.1 billion from R&F Group. Blackstone will have a 70% stake while R&F Properties Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of R&F Group, will retain a 30% stake. The transaction significantly expands Blackstone’s China logistics portfolio by approximately one-third to 53 million square feet across 23 Chinese cities.
Cliff Chen, a Blackstone Real Estate Managing Director based in Shanghai, said: “We are thrilled to continue our strategy of acquiring high quality logistics assets in China’s key distribution hubs and cater to ongoing tenant demand, driven by e-commerce tailwinds and emerging opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. This area, which connects 11 major cities including Shenzhen, Macau, and Hong Kong, is one of China’s biggest logistics markets and a rapidly developing trade, finance, and technology and innovation hub. We look forward to further developing the park by constructing additional cold storage facilities tailored for food and pharmaceutical industries as well as institutional-quality warehouses.”
Tenants of the logistics park include some of China’s most reputable corporations in various sectors such as third-party logistics (SF Express, YTO Express), e-commerce (Tmall, JD.com), pharmaceuticals (Sinopharm, CR Pharma), and telecommunications (China Mobile, China Telecom). The logistics park is located 15 kilometers from Guangzhou International Airport, a key transportation hub within the Greater Bay Area.
About Blackstone Real Estate
Blackstone is a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstone’s real estate business was founded in 1991 and has $174 billion of investor capital under management. Blackstone is one of the largest property owners in the world, owning and operating assets across every major geography and sector, including logistics, multifamily and single-family housing, office, hospitality and retail. Our opportunistic funds seek to acquire undermanaged, well-located assets across the world. Blackstone’s Core+ strategy invests in substantially stabilized real estate globally through regional open-ended funds focused on high-quality assets and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT), a non-listed REIT that invests in U.S. income-generating assets. Blackstone Real Estate also operates one of the leading global real estate debt businesses, providing comprehensive financing solutions across the capital structure and risk spectrum, including management of Blackstone Mortgage Trust (NYSE: BXMT).
Media Contact:
Ellen Bogard
Ellen.Bogard@Blackstone.com
Tel: +852 3651 7737
Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust and LBA Logistics Announce $1.6B Industrial Recapitalization
NEW YORK & IRVINE, Ca. – January 22, 2021 – Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“BREIT”) and LBA Logistics (“LBA”) today announced the recapitalization of two industrial portfolios owned by LBA comprising $1.6 billion of gross value. BREIT acquired an approximately 60% combined interest across both portfolios, and LBA’s investment fund and its investors retained the balance.
The portfolios comprise 71 high quality assets totaling 9.5 million square feet and are approximately 95% occupied. The assets are located predominantly in last mile locations in West Coast markets with the vast majority in California and Seattle, which are two of the best performing industrial markets in the country.
Brian Kim, Head of Acquisitions & Capital Markets for BREIT, said, “This transaction represents a compelling opportunity to acquire high-quality last mile industrial assets on behalf of our BREIT investors. Logistics is one of our highest conviction investment themes globally, and this acquisition illustrates BREIT’s continued momentum executing on exciting opportunities with significant growth potential. LBA Logistics is a best-in-class operator in the logistics sector, and we look forward to expanding our partnership with them.”
Phil Belling, LBA’s Managing Partner, added, “These assets are benefitting from the strong fundamentals in the industrial sector, which we believe will continue to be attractive over the long-term. We are excited to grow our partnership with Blackstone and look forward to continuing to create value for our investors in the logistics space.”
Upon closing this transaction, more than 90% of BREIT’s real estate investments will be in multifamily, industrial, and net leased assets, with industrial representing more than 35% of BREIT’s portfolio.
Eastdil Secured served as an advisor to LBA Logistics.
Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust
Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (BREIT) is a perpetual-life, institutional quality real estate investment platform that brings private real estate to income focused investors. BREIT invests in stabilized, income-generating U.S. commercial real estate across key property types and to a lesser extent in real estate debt investments. BREIT is externally managed by a subsidiary of Blackstone (NYSE: BX), a global leader in real estate investing. Blackstone’s real estate business was founded in 1991 and has approximately $174 billion in investor capital under management. Further information is available at www.breit.com.
About LBA Logistics
LBA Logistics (LBA) is a full-service real estate investment and management company with a diverse portfolio of industrial properties in major markets throughout the United States. LBA Logistics’ portfolio currently totals over 60 million square feet and consists of state-of-the-art, high-bay distribution space, light manufacturing and multi-tenant business parks. LBA owns assets in major port and airport adjacent locations including South and Northern California, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, New York/New Jersey, and Florida as well as regional inland hubs and infill last-mile delivery locations. In addition, LBA Realty owns and operates a portfolio of office and mixed-use properties throughout the Western United States. www.LBALogistics.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this communication constitutes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, such as “outlook,” “indicator,” “believes,” “expects,” “potential,” “continues,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “approximately,” “predicts,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates,” “anticipates”, “confident,” “conviction,” “identified” or the negative versions of these words or other comparable words thereof. These may include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements about plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, statements regarding future performance and statements regarding identified but not yet closed acquisitions. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and there are or may be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements. BREIT believes these factors also include but are not limited to those described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in its prospectus, and any such updated factors included in its periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this document (or BREIT’s prospectus and other filings). Except as otherwise required by federal securities laws, BREIT undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
Contact
Blackstone
Ilana Mouritzen
Ilana.Mouritzen@Blackstone.com
Tel: (212) 583-5776
Standard Chartered and UOB provide a HK$5.29 billion green loan to Gaw Capital-led consortium for its acquisition of 1111 King’s Road
21 January 2021, Hong Kong – Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (“SCBHK”) and UOB have teamed up to provide a HK$5.29 billion green loan to a Gaw Capital Partners-led consortium to support its acquisition of 1111 King’s Road (previously named as Cityplaza One) in Hong Kong.
1111 King’s Road currently holds a Platinum Green Building Certification under the BEAM Plus[1] assessment scheme which is recognised and accredited by the Hong Kong Green Building Council. The platinum certification is the highest possible rating based on a basket of criteria[2] including water efficiency and waste management. It recognises buildings with sustainability incorporated into their design and operation, and which contribute positively to Hong Kong’s emission intensity reduction goals.
SCBHK and UOB acted as joint mandated lead arrangers and joint bookrunners for the green loan facility to the Gaw Capital Partners-led consortium. The loan supports Gaw Capital’s continued efforts in implementing its sustainable strategy in line with the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals.
Ms Helen Hui, Co-Head, Client Coverage, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking, Hong Kong, Standard Chartered, said, “Standard Chartered is fully committed to promoting sustainable finance and embedding sustainability in our business operations. We are pleased to provide this green loan to the Gaw Capital Partners-led consortium for the purchase of 1111 King’s Road and installation of more green facilities in this Grade-A office tower. We are keen to do more and seek opportunities to work with our clients in developing Hong Kong into a hub for green finance.”
Mrs Christine Ip, CEO – Greater China, UOB, said, “At UOB, financing is one way we partner our clients to promote sustainable development. Our support to the consortium led by Gaw Capital Partners demonstrates our commitment to working with our clients to help drive their sustainability efforts as we continue to forge a sustainable future with our stakeholders.”
Ms Christina Gaw, Managing Principal & Head of Capital Markets of Gaw Capital Partners, said, “Gaw Capital Partners has continued to integrate ESG considerations into our business since 2014. With our latest purchase in Hong Kong, we are committed to maintaining 1111 King’s Road, Hong Kong under Platinum BEAM Plus accreditation, which means that the building will reduce the environmental impact in terms of different aspects, including operation management, materials and waste aspect, energy use, water use and indoor environment quality. This green loan reflects our commitment in finding ways to finance and operate a more sustainable business.”
[1] BEAM Plus is a leading initiative in Hong Kong offering independent assessments of buildings’ sustainability performance.
[2] For details, please visit HKGBC’s website: https://www.hkgbc.org.hk/eng/beam-plus/beam-plus-references/manuals-assessment/manuals-assessment.jsp
Partners Group acquires portfolio of UK industrial properties for GBP 253 million
Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, has acquired a portfolio of 27 light industrial properties in the UK with a total lettable area of approximately 3.6 million square feet, on behalf of its clients. The portfolio was acquired from specialist real estate investor Paloma Capital for GBP 253 million. Partners Group intends to scale the portfolio with an additional GBP 200 million of equity to fund new acquisitions of UK light industrial assets over the next twenty-four months.
The portfolio is spread across the UK, with most properties in the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West. The properties are well positioned to benefit from the structural tailwinds driving the growth of ecommerce, which has further accelerated following the outbreak of COVID-19. The portfolio has a diversified income stream with a tenant base of over 250 companies from a range of sectors, including logistics, engineering, distribution, trade and manufacturing. Paloma Capital participated in the acquisition as a co-investor and will remain the operating partner to the portfolio.
Partners Group plans various value creation initiatives for the current portfolio, including increasing occupancy, refurbishing units to upgrade and modernize facilities so they better suit tenant requirements, improving site accessibility and enhancing energy efficiency.
Rahul Ghai, Managing Director, Co-Head Private Real Estate Europe, Partners Group, states: “The UK light industrial sector is seeing high levels of demand due to the rise of ecommerce, a key transformative trend we have been following, yet shrinking supply, which is being caused by competition for land from other real estate segments such as residential. Although the Brexit transition has caused some uncertainties, we don’t expect them to have a significant and lasting impact on the structural tailwinds supporting the sector.”
Keeran Kang, Member of Management, Private Real Estate Europe, Partners Group, adds: “This portfolio of assets is diversified in terms of location, tenant base, asset size and offering, making it an attractive investment opportunity. The light industrial sector is one of Partners Group’s top relative value propositions within real estate and this portfolio provides a great opportunity to increase our exposure to it. We are looking forward to making add-on acquisitions to the portfolio over the next two years.”
Partners Group was advised by Clifford Chance and Deloitte.
Partners Group makes its first direct real estate acquisition in Japan for five years with a 24,000 sqm Grade A office property
Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, has acquired a Grade A office property 25 kilometers west of central Tokyo, Japan, in Tama New Town, on behalf of its clients. The property has a net leasable area of 24,000 square meters and is currently 100% occupied. The investment is Partners Group’s first direct real estate acquisition in Japan for five years.
The eight-story Tama Center, built in 2002 and designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma, is stabilized and cash generating, and is currently occupied by blue-chip Japanese companies. The asset is located near main transportation links to central Tokyo via road and rail, with the city’s central business district (CBD) accessible within 50 minutes. The investment will benefit from the limited supply of new office space coming to market in the area for the next five years, and a minimum weighted average unexpired lease term of three years, providing downside protection in the short term against the potential impact of COVID-19.
Partners Group will work with its local operating partner, Cypress Investment Management Co. Ltd., to execute a transformative business plan for the asset which includes increasing the net leasable area of the property by taking advantage of the building’s underutilized floor area ratio. Other value creation initiatives involve renovating the property, executing the lease renewals of key tenants and reducing energy consumption.
Rahul Ghai, Managing Director, Private Real Estate Asia, Partners Group, states: “The Tama Center is in an attractive location with good public transport and has high-quality tenants operating in defensive sectors. The asset’s Grade A office specifications and affordability compared to office space in central Tokyo, where rents are up to three times higher, should keep attracting corporate tenants. We will continue to look for transformational investing opportunities as the Japanese market offers strong relative value across the office, logistics and residential sectors.”
Euan Kennedy, Member of Management, Private Real Estate Asia, Partners Group, adds: “The Tama Center has defensive cash-flows with minimum near-term leasing risk. We have also identified positive demographic trends in the wider Tama area as Greater Tokyo continues to experience population growth and low unemployment rates, underpinning demand for office space. Looking ahead, we think this asset is well-positioned to benefit from structural tailwinds as demand for more satellite offices in non-CBD areas rise globally due to the impact of COVID-19.”