Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen and the ECE European Prime Shopping Centre Fund II, managed by ECE Real Estate Partners, are continuing their collaboration in the Polish retail market. The existing financings for two shopping centres in Poland are being extended by five years each. These are “Forum Koszalin” in Koszalin and “Felicity Lublin” in Lublin. The total financing volume amounts to EUR 205 million.
Both properties have undergone comprehensive renovation and modernisation in recent years. These measures included the redesign of the food courts and tenant fit-outs for existing as well as new tenants. A significant success of this development was the acquisition of Primark as an additional anchor tenant in both centres.
At “Forum Koszalin”, further brands such as Stradivarius and Mango were also secured. For “Felicity Lublin”, the conclusion of a substantial lease agreement with a high-turnover retail group is imminent, further underlining the operational strength of the property. These developments contributed to transforming the assets into core assets.
Strategic Partnership in the Polish Market
Georg Blaschke, Head of Real Estate Finance CEE & BeNeLux at Helaba, expressed his delight at the continuation of the long-standing customer relationship and the renewed trust from ECE. He emphasised that Poland is a relevant market for Helaba, where the institution is actively involved.
Christian Müller, Principal at ECE Real Estate Partners, highlighted that the successful implementation of the value-add strategy has developed both shopping centres into core assets that demonstrate strong operational performance. The long-term refinancing confirms the quality and profitability of both properties and secures the continuation of the trusted cooperation with Helaba.
Comprehensive Portfolio and Market Presence
The ECE European Prime Shopping Centre Fund II currently holds eleven shopping centres in Poland, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The portfolio is supported by national and international institutional investors. The ECE Group manages a total of approximately 200 shopping centres with a sales area of around seven million square metres. Of these, eight properties are located in Poland, where the ECE Group has been active since 1997.
