Fri, Feb 10 2012
Industrial zone near Elin Pelin
Photo: Nadezhda Chipeva
Warehouses and logistics centres still offer potential opportunities in the midst of an economic downturn for investors and developers.
Industrial Park Sofia East (IPSE) logistics project in Elin Pelin municipality, 25km east of Sofia, would cost 125 million leva if current plans are developed fully, Alexander Gebov, head of Paladin Property Development, the industrial park's project manager, said on March 5. It will spread on 70 ha of land, 96 per cent of which has been already rezoned from agricultural into land for construction development, and will provide space for light manufacturing, logistics and warehousing, benefiting from completely integrated infrastructure.
Current supply of logistic space in Sofia still lags behind demand and rentals, which currently come to as much as 5-6 euro a sq m, higher than in most countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region and rivaling prices in the United States and Western Europe, Andriana Petkova, managing partner in ProCon International Property Consultants, said at a discussion on trends and new ideas in real estate investment, held on March 5. Available infrastructure and plot acquisition prices were the biggest issues that had to be overcome by investors in logistics segment. Such developments normally spread on large areas of at least 200 000 to 300 000 sq m, which means that plot consolidation comes as a crucial item on the agenda.
Mayors from Bulgarian cities and towns organised a demonstration to protest against the murder of Elin Pelin mayor Yanko Yankov. Nearly 200 people joined the demonstration, which started in Sofia in a minute of silence. The mayors of Blagoevgrad, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Kavarna, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Stara Zagora, Yambol and Turgovishte joined the initiative. The civic initiative will be carried out under the slogan Society
Average market prices of homes in Sofia fell by one per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the same period of 2010, according to the Raiffeisen Real Estate Index, as quoted by Klasa daily.
Proportionately, the number of transactions in leva increased as people reacted to speculation that the euro would disappear.
Nearly all banks are ready to finance between 80 per cent and 90 per cent of the price of a home, provided it is a good building in a large city, Bulgarian daily says.
Property prices in Bulgaria were five to 10 per cent lower in 2011 than in 2010, while initial estimates for this year are that they will remain largely unchanged, with transactions remaining at ‘crisis levels’.
Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia ranks 17th, report says, quoting Global Property Guide.
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