All posts by tudor@cijeurope.com.

Meta Estate Trust invests almost EUR 4 million in the residential sector in Bucharest

Meta Estate Trust announces investments of almost EUR 4 million in four residential projects in Bucharest. The company has signed sale-purchase promises for 37 apartments strategically positioned in Bucharest, part of residential projects in various stages of construction, developed by HILS Development and Exigent Development.

Three of these portfolios are part of the projects developed by HILS Development in the eastern area of the Capital: HILS Republica, HILS Titanium and HILS Sunrise. They total 27 apartments, and the cumulative investment is EUR 2.7 million, with completion dates between 2025 and the first part of 2027.

The fourth housing portfolio includes 10 apartments within Plaza Residence Phase VI, a project developed by Exigent Development in Sector 6 of the capital, with a completion date for the first months of 2027. The total value of Meta Estate Trust’s investment in this project amounts to EUR 1 million.

The number of homes purchased through the Noua Casa program dropped drastically

In 2024, only 829 Romanians used the Noua Casa program to buy a home, compared to almost 2,000 in 2023 and over 10,000 in previous years. The low interest comes in the context of variable interest rates having increased significantly, and the guarantee ceiling having been reduced to 500 million lei – a quarter of the maximum level reached five years ago. Although the 2025 program proposes “preferential” conditions, such as a down payment of only 5%, few Romanians dare to take out a loan through Noua Casa.

The New House program has lost its attractiveness with the consistent increase in interest rates from 2023. The interest rate through the New House program is variable, and at the moment, clients need predictability and security, which is why fixed mortgage interest rates come with stability for a few years”, explains Robert Merluşcă, credit broker at CMG.

ENGIE acquires 54 MW wind project in Constanța County

ENGIE Romania announces the completion of the acquisition of a wind project with an installed capacity of 54 MW, located in the commune of Mereni, Constanța County, an area with high wind potential, recognized for its superior yields in green energy production. This project represents a strategic step in expanding the company’s renewable energy portfolio and also supports the achievement of the objective of having an installed capacity of 1 GW by 2030.

The wind project was acquired at the “ready to build” stage, having all the necessary building permits to start the works. Construction is scheduled to begin at the end of this year, with commissioning scheduled for 2027.
“This acquisition reflects our constant commitment to actively contribute to the energy transition, by developing a diversified portfolio of renewable projects. We continue our evolution with concrete steps, supported by the ambition to be a trusted partner for our customers, offering sustainable and competitive solutions, adapted to their long-term needs,” said Cristian Buzan, Deputy General Manager of ENGIE Romania.
Source: Profit.ro

One United Properties Attracts New Investors for Redevelopment of Former Ford Factory

Real estate developer One United Properties, through a capital increase worth approximately EUR 9 million, attracted two companies into the One Gallery Floreasca shareholder base: Dimar Imobiliare, owned by Diana – Alina Teodorescu, associate and financial director of Elektra Invest, and Strategic Capital Partners, owned by Dan Oproescu, shareholder of Elektra Invest and son-in-law of Mircea Vescan, former owner of Armax Gaz Mediaș.

The two companies took over over 11% of One Gallery Floreasca, Barin Capital has a similar stake, and One United Properties owns the remaining approximately 77.7% of the company.

One United Properties took over, in December 2023, the former Ford hall from the French group Auchan, after which it launched a process of reconversion and consolidation of the former Ford automobile factory with a gross development value estimated at 100 million euros, the largest private investment in Romania in the restoration of a historic building.

Source: Profit.ro

ABB Unveils Smart Home Innovation at Kuziini Showroom in Bucharest

ABB has partnered with Kuziini, a premium furniture showroom in Bucharest, to bring the future of smart living to life – showcasing the latest in intelligent home technology at the newly opened space. The showroom offers an immersive experience where premium design meets cutting-edge automation – setting new standards for comfort, connectivity, safety, and energy efficiency.

The partnership comes at the perfect time, with smart home technology gaining momentum around the world. In Romania alone, household adoption is expected to reach 69.5 % in 2025 and jump to 87.1 % by 2029, showing just how fast demand is growing for smarter, more connected living spaces.

Visitors can experience ABB’s advanced ABB-free@home® automation system in action – bringing together lighting, presence detection, and access control to create personalized ambiance, boost energy efficiency, and easily connect with other smart devices. The system also increases safety and security at home with ABB’s Welcome IP door entry communication solution.

Visitors can also see how ABB’s automation solutions integrate with home appliances and climate control systems via the Samsung SmartThings ecosystem, delivering a user-friendly and intuitive smart home experience.

“At Kuziini, visitors can experience firsthand how ABB smart home solutions transform everyday living – making homes more intuitive, efficient, and connected. This showroom brings to life how intelligent technologies can seamlessly enhance comfort, safety, and energy performance,” said Mioara Brasoveanu, Vice President Commercial, Electrification, ABB Romania.

The Kuziini showroom sets a new benchmark for the intelligent integration of modern home technologies. ABB is committed to delivering personalized and innovative solutions that meet the most demanding customer requirements, radically transforming the way we interact with technology in our living spaces.

“The partnership with ABB allowed us to improve the performance and efficiency of the entire showroom, ensuring that each visitor benefits not only from a premium design, but also from an environment optimized for their comfort and safety. ABB solutions, which include advanced energy control and home automation systems, ensure that all equipment works in perfect harmony, improving not only the user experience but also the environmental impact by reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions,” said Madalin Tomescu, Founder of Kuziini.

The Kuziini showroom in Bucharest, located at 63 Unirii Boulevard, brings together premium design and advanced ABB smart home technology – setting new standards for modern living through intuitive, connected experiences.

Marriott hotel in Croatia’s Opatija will open next spring

US-based hotel operator Marriott International announced that Opatija Marriott Resort & Spa is set to open in the northern Croatian Adriatic town of Opatija next spring.

“As anticipation builds for its opening in April 2026, the resort will contribute to the region’s reputation as a distinguished coastal destination,” Marriot said in a press release.

Opatija Marriott Resort & Spa is expected to feature 182 rooms, including suites and exclusive villas with private pools. Hungarian investor Lorinz Meszaros in partnership with Croatian real estate developer DDG Group is investing EUR 70 million in the hotel.

Sun Plaza signs with Auchan

CPI Romania, the owner of Sun Plaza shopping center, announces the expansion of its tenant mix by attracting a new strategic partner: Auchan. Following Carrefour’s decision to vacate its previous space, CPI has invited Auchan to open a next-generation 7,000 sqm hypermarket at the end of next year. For CPI, this move is part of a broader strategy to reposition Sun Plaza, which will undergo a phased modernization process starting in June.

The main objective of the transformation is to diversify and update the retail offering, in order to meet the needs of urban consumers and strengthen Sun Plaza’s position as a leading retail and lifestyle hub in the capital. In addition to the Auchan hypermarket, international fashion brands aligned with the latest trends in modern retail will be integrated across a 16,000 sqm area.

Geanina Ungureanu, Head of Retail, CPI România, says: „The retail market is evolving rapidly, and shopping centers must keep up the pace with new consumer habits. The new 7,000 sqm Auchan hypermarket concept, optimized in size and carefully developed in terms of product range, low prices, services, and customer experience, perfectly reflects this strategic direction. The modernization process of Sun Plaza is a complex and essential initiative aimed at providing infrastructure that keeps up with the industry’s dynamics.”

Ionut Ardeleanu, CEO Auchan Romania, says: „We responded to CPI Romania’s invitation to propose a next-generation Auchan hypermarket concept for Sun Plaza – a landmark location in modern retail in Bucharest and Romania. This is a great opportunity for us to better serve customers in Berceni and the entire southern area of Bucharest, where we are already present with our other formats, and to bring the Auchan difference even closer to them. We are coming with a wide and carefully selected range of products, with strong representation of Romanian products and producers, with consistently low prices — a key attribute of our brand — all in a modern, pleasant store offering both comfort and shopping speed, omnichannel services, and sustainability solutions, adapted to all customer categories.”

One United Properties moves its headquarters to One Gallery

Real estate developer One United Properties will move its headquarters to One Gallery, a building resulting from the reconversion of the historic Ford Hall monument in Bucharest’s Floreasca neighborhood. One United Properties’ new headquarters will be on the floor of One Gallery, which will deliver 14,845 square meters of retail and office space in the third quarter of this year.

With this move, the real estate developer will free up a 2,000 square meter space that it currently occupies in the neighboring One Tower building, part of the One Floreasca City complex.

“We are in advanced discussions for the lease of the space that will be vacated from One Tower. We are freeing up 2,000 square meters, part of which has already been leased to CMS Romania, and part of which is in advanced discussions,” said Mihai Păduroiu, CEO of One United Properties’ Office Division.

In the new building, One United Properties will be neighbor with Auchan, which will set up a premium supermarket here, and Marketta, the food hall concept operated by Tomcat Hospitality.

“In One Gallery we will occupy approximately 3,000 square meters. Now we have fragmented teams: sales are on the ground floor of tower 3 in One Mircea Eliade, we also have teams on the 7th, 12th and 16th floors in One Tower. Now we will move to a single space, which will streamline communication,” Păduroiu mentioned.

Source: Profit.ro

AFI Europe begins modernization of Bancorex building

Real estate developer AFI Europe begins modernization works on the Bancorex building. In the summer, AFI Europe purchased the Bucharest Financial Plaza office complex, known as the “Bancorex block”, in the center of Bucharest, from the Austrian investor Immofinanz.

Thus, until the end of the year, Bucharest residents will experience new traffic restrictions in the center of the capital, in the Calea Victoriei area. Traffic will be closed on certain streets. Traffic will be completely restricted on Str. Mihai Vodă, between Calea Victoriei and Str. Domnița Anastasia, access to Calea Victoriei from Splaiul Independenței will be implicitly restricted.

The Bucharest Financial Plaza building is 26 years old and has a rentable area of 26,300 square meters. Immofinanz paid approximately EUR 36 million euros for it.

Source: Profit.ro

Nhood aims to generate over EUR 10 mln by 2030 through its new global ESG strategy

Nhood, an integrated real estate services and solutions company, present in 10 European countries, including Romania, strengthens its leading position in sustainable real estate transformation by launching its global ESG strategy – Nhoods’ Impact Generation – to become a reference player in urban regeneration.

The new strategy aims, among other things, to become a major player in ESG services, with a target of generating cumulative sales of more than EUR 10 million in ESG services by 2030, targeting both existing clients and new partners.

“At the heart of our ESG strategy is a commitment to people. Our vision is to transform the real estate sector into a driver of sustainable value creation that brings prosperity to our clients, strengthens our business, and positively impacts the future of the planet; all while remaining a solutions engine for our teams,” stated Antoine Grolin, President of Nhood.

To reach its ESG goals, Nhood has set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, and aims to reduce the carbon footprint associated with employee mobility by 40% by 2030. Furthermore, the company has set a goal to completely eliminate non-recyclable waste and plant 100,000 trees in its projects by the end of the decade.

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