WOOD Astra Holding and Tatra AM have acquired 60% in Aupark Bratislava from URW

WOOD & Company, as the transaction leader, together with its JV partner Tatra Asset Management, have initially acquired a 60% interest in Aupark Bratislava for an agreed total acquisition cost of US$550 million (at 100%). The remaining 40% will be acquired through pre-agreed stakes in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

WOOD & Co. Astra Holding is a subsidiary of WOOD & Co. Real Estate SICAV Fund – a Czech SICAV structure regulated by the Czech National Bank and managed by WOOD & Co Investment Company. The fund invests in quality real estate assets in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

WOOD & Company is the leading investment bank in CEE, focused on providing corporate finance and capital markets services, securities brokerage and asset management. It was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Prague, with offices in Bratislava, Warsaw, Milan, Bucharest and London. The firm’s real estate activities are managed under the WOOD & Company Real Estate umbrella, the local market leader in the commercial real estate segment, with more than 249,000 sqm of leasable area. In addition to operating in the Czech Republic, where it manages administrative buildings Hadovka Office Park, Harfa Office Park and The Greenline, as well as shopping centers Galerie Harfa and Centrum Krakov, WOOD & Company Real Estate is also building its Slovak portfolio successfully, with the Westend Tower, Aupark Tower, Lakeside Park 01, BBC 5, BBC 1 and BBC 1 Plus office buildings.

Tatra Asset Management is the largest mutual fund manager in Slovakia.

Aupark Bratislava is a premium shopping center with an excellent location for visitors from the capital city and the surrounding area. The flagship center has a gross leasable area of 59,600 sqm and attracted a footfall of 11.8 million in 2019, and has 231 business units and more than 2,200 parking spaces.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is the premier global developer and operator of flagship shopping destinations, with a portfolio valued at US$68.7 billion on 31 December 2020, 85% of which is in retail, 8% in offices, 5% in convention & exhibition venues and 2% in services. It owns and operates 87 shopping centers, including 53 flagships in the most dynamic cities in Europe and the USA. The group is present in two continents and in 12 countries.

Oaklins’ team in Slovakia advised the buyer on the acquisition and managed the entire transaction process. The team also secured refinancing of the US$280 million Aupark debt.