Symmetrica completes new factory in Vrancea

Symmetrica, the leader in the local market for vibropressed paving stones and curbs, announces the completion of its second factory in the Doaga industrial center, Vrancea county. The total investment was EUR 15 million.

“The takeover, modernization and re-equipment of the factory acquired from Somaco Holding represented a strategic step for Symmetrica. We expanded production capacity, created new jobs and revitalized the industrial tradition of the area. It is proof that long-term investments can generate real economic and social impact for the community,” said Sebastian Bobu, Executive Director of Symmetrica.

With an area of 30 hectares, the Doaga industrial center becomes the largest production platform in the Symmetrica portfolio and a landmark for the industry.

World Class opens new location at Moldova Mall

World Class Romania announces the opening of the newest premium health, fitness & swimming club in Iași, located in Moldova Mall.

“The opening of the new club in Moldova Mall is a strategic step in consolidating our presence in Iași, a city full of energy, ambition and growth potential. We want to be part of this dynamism, offering a premium space where people can truly take responsibility for their own health and well-being. It is not just an extension of our network – it is an effort to build communities around movement, balance and a quality life,” said Kent Orrgren, CEO of World Class Romania.

The new World Class location in Moldova Mall covers an area of over 2,300 square meters and includes a semi-Olympic indoor pool, a fitness area, modern studios for group training and functional training, as well as dedicated relaxation areas, with a dry and wet sauna.

An interwar villa in the Capital, put up for sale for EUR 890,000

A grandiose neo-Romanian style villa, dating from the first part of the 20th century, in the Jewish quarter of the Capital, is being sold for EUR 890,000. The house has a built area of 658 sqm spread over 3 levels and is located on Labirint Street, near Unirii Square.

The house is consolidated and completely renovated, and even though it has undergone subsequent modifications, it retains references to the past. The facade was rebuilt, but the decorative elements were preserved, and the electrical and plumbing installations were changed.

The house has 9 rooms, a generous 400 sqm courtyard where there is also a gazebo. Positioned in an area with easy access and urban tranquility, the house offers all the contemporary comfort in a noble setting, full of history.

M Core plans to invest over EUR 200 million in the next two years

M Core has invested over EUR 150 million since the beginning of the year to acquire the Focşani Shopping Center projects from KBC and Suceava Shopping City along with seven retail parks from real estate investor MAS. In parallel, M Core has completed six new retail projects and plans additional developments that will exceed EUR 200 million in the next two years.

“Our continued investments in Romania underline our long-term commitment to the market and confidence in the resilience of the sector. We continue to identify quality assets that align with our strategic vision and enhance the retail experience for tenants and consumers. With over EUR 200 million dedicated to future projects, M Core is focused on innovation, sustainability and excellence in retail,” says Sebastian Macdonald-Hall, Chief Investment Officer at M Core.

“The transactions carried out by M Core in the last six months reflect the solid performance of the retail sector and reconfirm investors’ confidence in Romania’s long-term potential,” explains Simina Niculiţă, Head of Retail Partner at Colliers.

Accor opens hotel in Palase, Albania

French hospitality group Accor has opened a luxury hotel in the tourist village of Palase, southern Albania, according to general manager Ferenc Zsolt Horvath. The hotel, operating under Accor’s luxury brand MGallery Collection, will be open year-round. The facility offers 131 sea-view rooms, including 26 suites.

In 2021, Accor opened its first hotel in Albania, under its premium brand Movenpick, in the Lalz bay touristic area near Durres. In March last year, it opened a hotel under its mid-range brand Mercure in Tirana.

Accor also plans to open a hotel under its premium brand Adorn in Tirana in October.

IKEA Romania to Install Photovoltaic Panels in Pallady Store Parking Lot

IKEA Romania has launched a project to install 1,435 photovoltaic panels on carport structures in the parking area of its Pallady store in eastern Bucharest. The initiative is part of the retailer’s strategy to increase energy efficiency and generate electricity for on-site consumption.

The project involves the construction of carport structures over double and single parking spaces. In the double-space areas, 250 panels will be installed to cover 42 parking spots, while the single-space section will accommodate 90 panels over 15 spaces.

The investment, which includes permitting, studies, design, construction, and operational accreditation, is valued at approximately EUR 1 million. The installation is expected to be completed within two months.

CEDER 2025 in review: Shifting Focus and Emerging Opportunities in Romania’s Real Estate

Andrei Văcaru, Head of Capital Markets CEE at iO Partners and moderator of the “Market Growth Projections” panel discussion held at CEDER 2025 highlighted the fact that post-pandemic structural shifts have been driving a change in focus, prompting investors and developers to explore new and emerging sectors and sometimes broaden their horizons beyond traditional asset classes.

Anca Merdescu, Head of Investments at Square 7, part of M Core, talked about a shift of focus towards the industrial sector. She also believes residential is a sector with “structural significant demand, which is not yet covered by the current supply”. Similarly, Aurelia Luca, Executive Vice President Operations Hungary and Romania at Skanska noted they are “looking in the region to residential for rent and mainly under the PRS umbrella”, planning projects in Poland and the Czech Republic and anticipating the trend will most probably follow to Hungary and Romania, where demand appears strong.

Vlad Dragoescu, Director, CEE Head of Portfolio Management at Revetas Capital expressed their interest in “a lot of segments, from PRS, resi to sell, to assisted living, student housing and so on”, segments which are still not present on the Romanian market.

Miroslav Tavel, Managing Partner at OPC Holding, whose core focus is retail parks, expects segments which haven’t yet come to Romania, “as these self-storage or renting homes” to be represented on the market, “in maybe [the] next five years”.

Silviu Toma, Executive Director, Project and Corporate Structured Finance at Raiffeisen Bank, indicated the bank is “very much focused on retail […] together with logistic and industrial”, while also seeing potential in “specialized real estate projects, like clinics, hospitals, schools, resi for lease, entertainment mixed with residential”, noting that these fields offer “plenty of room to grow”. He added that “the groups of companies, […] big developers, usually they have a core part, but […] they are looking to expand in other secondary fields in real estate to improve the picture of the group and the benefits.”

However, entering these newer areas requires careful consideration. As Vlad Dragoescu pointed out, exploring segments like assisted living or student housing necessitates the “entire infrastructure, you need both the equity and the debt component to be adapted to that specific type of business in order to support the cash flow at least in the initial maturity phasing”. Anca Merdescu added that her company explores new sectors alongside a local partner or developer, deeming it “essential for entering a new asset class”.

IULIUS to invest EUR 28 million in new family market project in Tomești

IULIUS Group has announced plans to invest approximately EUR 28 million in a new proximity retail project in Tomești, Iași County. The development marks the company’s third Family Market project and is scheduled to begin construction by the end of this year, with completion targeted for the final quarter of 2026.

The planned Family Market Tomești will feature a leasable area of around 16,000 square metres. The project will include a supermarket and a curated mix of services and retail units, with a focus on local producers. It will also feature a drive-thru restaurant, cafés, and food outlets, as well as a public park covering approximately 10,000 square metres.

The development will provide more than 450 dedicated parking spaces and will include infrastructure upgrades to support the project. The approval and permitting process for the project is currently ongoing.

Romania: The advance payment for reserving an apartment, completely eliminated

The bill that emerged as a reaction to the Nordis case has undergone new amendments, which completely eliminated the advance payment for reserving an apartment and restricted the distribution of money received by real estate developers from clients.

Also, the maximum limit of the advance payment that can be collected upon signing a sale-purchase promise has decreased from 65% to 45%. Thus, in the latest version of the project, it is specified that “the amounts paid by the buyer as an advance under the promise to sell / promise to buy / bilateral promise to sell-buy are deposited in a separate bank account of the developer, dedicated to the construction of the project for which the advance was paid, and can be spent by the developer only for the purpose of developing the respective project and only with the “payment receipt” stamp of the person responsible / site manager, for the resistance part maximum 25% of the price and after its completion, for the installation part maximum 20% of the price”.

Source: Profit.ro

SIF Muntenia to buy office building from the founders of Urgent Curier

The company Bucur SA, controlled by Longshield Investment Group (formerly SIF Muntenia), is in talks with the spouses Corina and Sebastian Bălășescu, the founders of Urgent Curier, for the acquisition of the CSDA Siriului office building, in northern Bucharest, at a price of EUR 7.4 million.

The office building, called the Business Support and Development Center (CSDA) Siriului, is structured on a basement, ground floor, 5 floors, plus a secluded 6th floor, has a developed area of about 5,000 square meters and a rentable area of about 3,600 square meters. The building was built by the real estate developer Primavera Development.

Bucur SA shareholders are to approve the acquisition, on the occasion of which they also want to change their object of activity to renting and subletting their own or rented real estate.