Skanska sells the Maraton office building in Poznań to Union Investment

Maraton, located in the very heart of Poznan, is Skanska’s second office development in the city. The building’s tenants, including ROCKWOOL, Sii, APS, Bridgestone, Century Link, Naspers through its OLX Group, Duni European Finance Function and REHAU Business Services have all been attracted by the project which will be an important asset in retaining current employees as well as recruiting prospective candidates.

- Such a prestigious group of tenants best exemplifies the location’s high quality. Maraton is mainly selected by companies that wish to develop in state-of-the-art conditions over a long period of time. Furthermore, our partner - Union Investment - was looking for such a forward-looking investment. The open-ended real estate fund UniImmo: Deutschland has selected a Skanska building for the second time – comments Arkadiusz Rudzki, Managing Director at Skanska Property Poland. – The purchase of Maraton by such an experienced player also confirms the robust condition of Poznań's office market. We also believe in the city’s potential and have long-term plans for the area. Our next project is being developed on one of the biggest land plots in Poznan's business centre. This will be a city-forming project combining numerous functions, which will be 'a first' for Poznan – adds Arkadiusz Rudzki.

The first building developed by Skanska and purchased by Union Investment was Dominikański in Wrocław. It was delivered to market in 2015.

- Our strategy for Poland involves the broad diversification of our real estate portfolio. Poznan is our tenth investment location in the country - said Martin Schellein, Head of Investment Management Europe at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH. - The Poznan office market has excellent growth prospects, so we are delighted to hold such a high-quality property in a central location – adds Martin Schellein.

Following this acquisition, Union Investment now holds 16 properties in Poland across the office, retail and hotel sectors with a total value of some EUR 1.6 billion.

Maraton was designed with a focus on people as its sunny and spacious interiors offer a comfortable and functional space to work. The building’s crucial advantage is the open patio with a fountain as well as terraces located on Maraton’s rooftop, where tenants will be able to plan integration events and work during warmer days. The office building, reflecting the Modernist period in Poznan, is located in close proximity to four parks, Dworzec Główny station, the Old Square and Stary Browar. The tenants’ employees can reach the Warta river in just a few minutes or sit in a cafeteria on Królowej Jadwigi Street. A café and other services and amenities will also be located on the building’s ground floor. Furthermore, Skanska did not forget about the location’s history – during the development works, the company secured a fragment of the 19th century wall of Poznan Fortress, which can be seen on Maraton’s patio.

During the purchase transaction, Union Investment Real Estate GmbH based in Hamburg was supported by Colliers International, while Skanska Property Poland was represented by the advisory firm Knight Frank. The buyer was advised by Hogan Lovells legal firm, while the seller was represented by Dentons global legal firm.

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Maraton – key facts and numbers:

• Leasable space – 26,000 sqm
• Available parking places – 301
• Available bicycle racks – 138
• The office building is LEED Gold pre-certified.
• The project’s sports-related name was inspired by Maratońska Street as well as its close proximity to numerous sports arenas, including the legendary club KS Warta Poznań and Poznań Sports and Recreation Centre.
• The scheme’s general contractor is Skanska S.A. The architectural design was prepared by CDF Architekci studio. Skanska Property Poland is responsible for the building’s commercialization.