CA Immo´s office buildings rented out in Prague
CA Immo was successful in the field of office properties rental in 2016. The vacancy rate of its portfolio consisting of three buildings located in the complex of River City Prague (Amazon Court, Danube House, Nile House) and Kavčí Hory Office Park has been further declining and, at present, it has come down below 2 %.
49% ownership share in the Danube House in Prague purchased
The Danube House, which - being a dominant feature of the area of Rohanský Island - is considered one of the symbols of Karlín´s transformation into a modern city district, has recently passed into the full ownership of CA Immo. Thus, the entire office portfolio is solely owned by CA Immo now.
CA Immo has successfully completed negotiations with Union Investment on the acquisition of the 49% share. After the recent acquisition of EBRD´s 35% co-ownership share in the buildings of Amazon Court, Nile House and Kavčí Hory Office Park, this is another significant investment by CA Immo in office properties in Prague. This acquisition represents another considerable step in the process of implementation of CA Immo´s strategy, which is designed to strengthen the company´s position in the segment of A-category office buildings and, by contrast, to decrease its presence in the other sectors which are not among the company´s core business activities in Prague. What remains the principal focus of CA Immo is the further extension of the portfolio of office buildings, whether in the form of new acquisitions or developments by the company.
LEED Platinum for the Danube House
The Danube House has completed the process of gradual certification of buildings included in CA Immo´s portfolio. It has received the LEED certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council for Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance, being assigned the Platinum rating, which is the highest level. In view of this, the Danube House takes place alongside the buildings of Nile House and Kavčí Hory Office Park, which have also achieved the LEED Platinum. The Amazon Court is the first building in the Czech Republic to have received the DGNB Gold rating.
As the LEED Platinum represents the highest certification level attainable for existing buildings, it is a considerable challenge to earn this certificate. The LEED certification programme heavily focuses on energy costs savings, which is why strict requirements for buildings´ energy demands must be satisfied first. Aside from measurable criteria such as energy efficiency and the proportion of renewable energy resources, the building must be subjectively judged an extraordinary success by its tenants, in respect to a healthy office environment. The tenants evaluate, among other things, thermal comfort throughout all seasons of the year, light and sound comfort and the quality of air, along with the quality of cleaning and maintenance. For example, it was necessary to prove that a considerable reduction in operational water consumption has been achieved in the Danube House, along with utilizing a higher proportion of recycled materials, tracing the origins of cleaning and operational materials/equipment. Also, it was required to prove that effective smoking controls have been imposed and alternative means of transport have been facilitated, in addition to fulfilling a number of other requirements for the building itself and its immediate surrounding.
As this certification programme combines requirements for the building itself with those for a responsible approach to the operations and use of the property, it places brand new demands on its owners and tenants alike. They are all required to invest funds and energy in a number of saving and environmental measures, along with sustainable procedures. Without active contribution from the tenants, such as GoodData, Komerční pojišťovna, Nonstop Recruitment, ELC Group, Nokia, Blue Style, Zoom International, Tarsago and others, it would have been utterly unreal to attain this level certificate for the Danube House. Incidentally, the building fulfilled extremely strict criteria and earned a score of 80 points out of 100. With the implementation of select means and thanks to the installation of water-saving faucet aerators, the consumption of drinking water has been reduced by more than 37 % in the building. All light sources have been replaced with those with low levels of mercury. Also, the proportion of recycled waste has increased to over 63 %.
CA Immo is a specialist in office properties in the capitals of Central Europe. Listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange and included in the ATX index, the company covers the entire value chain in the sector of commercial real estate, including rental and development of commercial development, where they capitalize on their expertise. Established in 1987, CA Immo currently controls property assets of approximately €3.6 billion in Germany, Austria and in Central and Eastern Europe.
For further information contact:
CA Immo Real Estate Management Czech Republic s.r.o.
Alois Vyleta
Managing Director
tel.: + 420 233 109 310
e-mail: alois.vyleta@caimmo.cz
www.caimmo.com
Crest Communications a.s.
Jana Bakešová
Account Manager
tel.: + 420 731 613 604
e-mail: jana.bakesova@crestcom.cz
www.crestcom.cz