Skanska has officially cut the ribbon on its newest office project located in the business heart of Poznan. This office building provides 25,000 sqm of flexible space that has been almost entirely leased by global players from the business services sector including Naspers through its OLX Group, Sii, Bridgestone EBS, Duni European Finance Function and REHAU Business Services. Ultimately, the project will serve as a destination for up to 3,000 specialists, including those from start-ups. Furthermore, the Poznan-based Maraton will be the first out of 10 locations of Skanska and Business Link to offer common co-working space.
Poznan specializes in services
Poznan is one of the most attractive and sought-after locations for developing businesses in Poland[1]. The strong position of the city in the Wielkopolska region is underlined by global players from the business services sector who specialize in ITO (Information Technology Outsourcing) processes. It is confirmed even more by numbers – according to a report concluded by ABSL, IT processes comprise over 60% of operations provided by business services centers located in Poznan. The growing demand for modern office space is being answered by Skanska with the opening of Maraton.
- Poznan has gained an office building of the highest architectural standards. And that is what tenants expect nowadays. Therefore, I am glad that investments like this are catered to them in our city. We are shaping an image of Poznan that is friendly and open for business, a creative and innovative city, and we succeed thanks to such projects and such partners as Skanska" says Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of Poznan.
The advantages of Maraton include its excellent central location in close proximity to many amenities as well as being in easy reach of some of the city’s major attractions such as the Old Town Square and Stary Browar. Furthermore, the building will also provide charging stations for electrical cars as well as a well-developed bicycle infrastructure – bicycle stands, locker rooms and shower cubicles for cyclists. Other advantages include the publicly accessible patio with a fountain and green rooftop terraces that provide the possibility to work outdoors. In addition, Maraton is an example of a healthy and friendly space that supports the work of employees working in the building. The project’s business success is underlined by interest from the German fund, Union Investment Real Estate GmbH. The fund has concluded a preliminary agreement for the purchase of Maraton.
- The broad tenant mix in Maraton shows how attractive the office submarket is in Poznan, especially for service sector companies - said Thomas Röhrs, fund manager of UniImmo: Deutschland at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH. - This variety, combined with the exceptional construction quality of the property, creates an exciting long-term investment opportunity for UniImmo: Deutschland. Back in 2015, the fund acquired an office property likewise developed by Skanska Property Poland in Wrocław, which has since performed very well – he adds.
In addition, Maraton will be the first common location for both Skanska and Business Link.
- It will be a modern office space, offering possibility of development to any and all tenants. The place will be dedicated to co-working solutions with a complementary offer of conference rooms that will occupy 4,000 sqm of office space in the Poznan investment. It will be opened in Q4 2017 - says Ewelina Kałużna, Leasing and Asset Management Director at Skanska Property Poland.
- We have been operating as a developer in Poznan since 2011. Maraton is our second office project developed in the city following on from Malta House. Maraton quickly gained favor from international tenants, especially from the business services sector, who recognize the combination of a central location, modern furnishings and the flexibility of space. The decision to launch a co-working space with Business Link in Maraton is an illustration of this. Our building will also cater to creative representatives of start-ups, small and medium companies, and specialists from global corporations who will all be able to use space “on demand”– comments Łukasz Kaleciński, Regional Director at Skanska Property Poland.
During the opening ceremony, Maraton was also awarded with the “Object without barriers” certificate. This underlines that the investment will be fully adjusted to the needs of persons with disabilities, parents with children, seniors and people who cannot speak Polish. Taking into account the fact that nearly half of the business services centers operating in Poznan employ persons with different disabilities[2], this is an extremely important step to understanding sustainable building. Furthermore, the investment includes numerous green solutions that will be certified with an LEED Gold certificate. Therefore, employees can count on working in spacious, sunny offices in a comfortable climate during both the summer and winter.
Maraton will not be the last investment developed by Skanska in Poznan. The company is preparing to launch the construction works on its newest project - Nowy Rynek. It will be a modern, mixed-use building with predominantly office functions. It will offer an open square, at the very center of the project, which will be open to Poznan's residents.
Maraton – key facts and numbers:
- Leasable space – 25,000 sqm
- Available parking places – 301
- Available bicycle racks – 138
- The office building will be LEED Gold certified
- The sports-related name for the building was inspired by Maratońska Street as well as its close proximity to numerous sports arenas, including the legendary club KS Warta Poznan and Poznan Sports and Recreation Centre
- The scheme’s general contractor is Skanska S.A.
- The architectural design was prepared by CDF Architekci studio.
[1] Second position in Poland's major cities in the annual “Cities attractive for business” (2016) conducted by Forbes.pl together with Central Economic Information Centre.
[2] http://absl.pl/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/raport_poznan_PL_170317_epub.pdf