Sun, Jul 05 2009
Investor interest in business property in Bulgaria grows. Most investors plan developments like retail centres, real estate agents said.
Bulgaria faces numerous problems related to retail and office space, investor.bg reported.
Figures for Bulgaria show that 160 sq m of retail space is available in Bulgaria per 1000 people. In comparison, 1000 people in Poland enjoy 520 sq m of trade area.
Concerning office space, the situation is similar. An employee should have on the average 22 sq m of office space. In Bulgaria, employees have only eight sq m.
Bulgaria also lacks storage facilities meeting the international standards. The problem is similar concerning logistics centres.
The shortage gives investors the chance to develop in the business property segment, agents said.
Various companies have researched opportunities for the execution of such projects in Bulgaria but specific plans have not been presented yet.
The project will be financed by the Bulgarian Bank for Development, and the Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas, or Jessica Programme, although the report has so far failed to reveal the total cost of the vast enterprise.
The strategic plan envisages the conservation of the nature "for decades ahead", and it was formulated by a municipal team headed by professor Ivan Nikiforov, backed by Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev.
Once the overhaul and reconstruction of the Sofia–Vidin line is complete, it will cut travel time to three hours, as the train will be able to reach speeds of up to 160 km/h, shortening the journey to three hours.
Marriott however has made it clear that is not interested in investing in construction, but rather to occupy and manage existing buildings. Its strategy is to obtain management contracts.
Investors realise that it’s not viable to have a building remaining empty over the course of a year – so it's better for them to employ more flexibility to offset that loss.