Tuesday, 4 November 2025
With construction now underway at its €50 million Vitality project in Sector 3, REDPORT Development is not only strengthening its residential footprint but also outlining a broader vision for long-term urban transformation across Bucharest. In an exclusive conversation with CIJ EUROPE, COO Bogdan Gubandru discussed the company’s expansion plans, financing strategy, and ambitions to build one of the capital’s largest new mixed-use communities.
Vitality marks REDPORT’s first development in Sector 3 — one of Bucharest’s fastest-growing residential districts — and serves as a pilot for the company’s mid-market housing model. The scheme will deliver roughly 500 apartments across three phases, beginning with low-rise blocks already under construction and expanding to mid-rise buildings in later stages. Apartments are priced around €1,800 per square metre, targeting local families upgrading from older stock and newcomers seeking access to schools, green spaces, and modern infrastructure.
The project also integrates retail and leisure amenities, including a Lidl supermarket and landscaped open areas, reflecting REDPORT’s emphasis on community-led design.
Gubandru confirmed that the company is already pursuing additional plots in Sector 3 and evaluating larger land parcels on Bucharest’s northern and peripheral edges.
“We are choosing locations with the same kind of foresight that urban planners have used before us,” Gubandru said. “We look for areas with access to infrastructure, social facilities, and green zones — places that can evolve into mixed-use neighbourhoods. In District 3, Vitality Est benefits from proximity to Pantelimon Park and the lakes, while in the north, Străulești–Petrom City is emerging as Bucharest’s ‘New North’. These aren’t isolated projects — they’re new pieces of the city’s urban puzzle, meant to last for generations.”
Beyond its current pipeline, REDPORT is exploring a 100–150-hectare development on the outskirts of the city — a mixed-use community potentially anchored by a golf course, which would mark an unprecedented scale for the capital.
Asked about the financial framework for such large-scale projects, Gubandru drew parallels with historic infrastructure investments.
“Financing a 100-hectare development is like financing a boulevard or a railway in the past — it demands multiple layers of capital and long-term vision,” he explained. “For our for-sale phases, we rely on a mix of equity, bank loans, and presales. For rental or community-led formats, we’re ready to attract institutional investors, green bonds, and forward-funding structures. Our goal is to finance not just buildings, but an entire way of life — modern, sustainable, and aligned with Bucharest’s future.”
The developer’s financing model has already been tested through a private placement completed earlier in 2025, bringing in minority shareholders, with a second round expected before the end of the year. An IPO is under consideration for 2027–2028, possibly with a dual listing in Bucharest and on a foreign exchange.
REDPORT’s leadership acknowledges that delivering large-scale, mixed-use developments in Romania presents real challenges — from zoning and permitting delays to infrastructure gaps and financing cycles.
“Every major transformation comes with obstacles,” Gubandru said. “We mitigate risks through phased approvals, early cooperation with local authorities on infrastructure, and diversified capital sources. Above all, our in-house construction capability gives us control over timing and quality. Like past urban transformations, it’s about perseverance, planning, and precision.”
The proposed 100–150-hectare project remains in its conceptual phase, but Gubandru emphasised that REDPORT is already preparing for execution.
“Projects of this scale belong to a generational horizon,” he noted. “With land assembly and zoning, the first works could begin in 2027 or 2028. But this is not a single project — it’s a new district, and full delivery will unfold over eight to ten years. Our ambition is to approach it with the same responsibility Haussmann had when reshaping Paris — a coherent, sustainable plan that leaves a legacy for Bucharest.”
Beyond its development ambitions, REDPORT is positioning itself to attract institutional capital such as pension funds and family offices — a first step toward becoming a mature, listed real estate platform.
“By 2027 we want REDPORT to be recognised not just as a developer, but as a platform for urban transformation,” Gubandru concluded. “That means transparent governance, international standards, and a diversified portfolio that proves resilience through cycles. Everything we’ve built so far has prepared us to take this next step.”
With Vitality Est now breaking ground and a new generation of large-scale communities on the horizon, REDPORT Development is positioning itself at the centre of Bucharest’s next wave of residential and urban evolution.
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