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The extensive construction work on the 46,000m² Potsdamer Platz Arkaden has now begun and is expected to take two years. Brookfield Properties, the asset manager of Potsdamer Platz, and centre operator ECE have added Mercato Metropolitano (MM), a pioneer of sustainable community markets from London, as a new anchor tenant for an area of around 4,400m². At Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Mercato Metropolitano is opening its first location in Germany.

“I am glad that with Mercato Metropolitano, we have been able to partner with a young, innovative company to develop a stylish, urban and sustainable community market concept that fits in perfectly with the Berlin culture and way of life. Mercato Metropolitano shows the direction it will take,” said Karl L. Wambach, Executive Vice President Europe of Brookfield Properties.

“We are in contact with numerous other potential tenants. Despite the Coronavirus, we are convinced that social life will gradually return to normal and that Potsdamer Platz will once again become a Berlin experience,” said Wambach. The goal of Brookfield Properties at Potsdamer Platz is to create a lively and contemporary urban space where Berlin tourists, theatregoers, office workers and Berliners feel equally comfortable.

On two levels Mercato Metropolitano will offer freshly prepared, traceable and artisan food from the best local and international operators. In all MM locations, community engagement and business incubation programs, as well as environmental and social activities, are central to the working of the community markets, with a particular focus on inclusivity.

Andrea Rasca, Founder and Chief Executive Dreamer of Mercato Metropolitano commented: “Such offers are part of our philosophy and will be central to our Berlin market. We want to break down barriers, bring people together and support communities. The opportunity to bring this philosophy to Berlin is truly important to us, considering the exceptional cultural diversity, rich history and innovational spirit of the city”.

Rasca founded his company in 2015 as part of a pilot project at the World Expo in Milan. In 2016, Mercato Metropolitano opened their first sustainable community market in London. “We only use recyclable and compostable materials, without single-use plastics at all our locations. Our ultimate goal is to lead a waste, plastic and chemical-free economy, by offering to the community of citizens the best possible bio-variety of sustainable food which will satisfy their taste buds as well as enhance our own and Earth’s health”, Rasca added.

DEKA Immobilien Investment has acquired the AUSTRO TOWER complex in Vienna, Austria, from SORAVIA. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The 136-meter high tower at Schnirchgasse 17 will remain the property of SORAVIA until its completion, scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2021, after which DEKA will take over the project. The building will already be fully let at that time – 85% of the 28,000m² of office space will become the new headquarters of Austro Control and ASFINAG. SORAVIA plans to move into the remaining space and use it as its new corporate headquarters.

The building will be constructed according to the highest ecological standards. Thanks to the most innovative planning, it is expected to achieve platinum status in both the LEED standard and the ÖGNI certification. The location also speaks for itself, the AUSTRO TOWER is located directly on the Danube Canal, surrounded by the TrIIIple residential towers and the TownTown business district. The development enjoys easy access by the public and private transport.

Rui Hotels has unviled plans for reopening of the Riu Plaza Berlin and Riu Plaza Guadalajara hotels on May 25. The announcement follows the latest changes to the lockdown restictions imposed in the wake of COVID-19 crisis. The 4-star Riu Plaza Berlin features with 357 rooms, and was opened in 2015 in one of the most popular areas of the city. Its reopening will take place a after the celebration of Pentecost, an important German holiday, as well as in its neighboring countries. The4-star hotel Riu Plaza Guadalajara, which was opened in 2011, offers 550 rooms and a large conference centre with 16 rooms. Guadalajara is the capital of the state of Jalisco, as well as the second most important city in Mexico. Its cultural heritage and active economic and social life attract thousands of visitors every year.

Commodus has acquired an office building at Borsigturm technology campus in Berlin from Gewerbepark am Borsigturm GmbH, a real estate company of the steel and technology group Salzgitter AG. Built in 1997, the complex with a wide variety of tenants offers more than roughly 7,000m² of office space and is currently fully let. The scheme benefits from easy access by public and private transport and startegic location Berlin’s Tegel district. The purchase price was not disclosed.

The structural and architectural flexibility of the property makes it possible to accommodate a variety of innovative office concepts. Commodus plans to begin modernising and reletting larger units in late 2021. The space on offer is expected to range from open lofts to traditional, subdivided office units. Commodus intends to remodel the interior of the property while also improving the appearance of the exterior spaces and creating attractive common areas.

The only international study that assesses and compares 21 leading Global Business Districts (GBDs) has confirmed that business districts in Western Europe and North America continue to lead the way, amid fierce competition from Asian business districts, but all will need to adapt in response to the Covid-19 crisis. According to the 2020 Attractiveness of Global Business Districts Report, published by EY and the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and commissioned by the GBD Innovation Club, the City of London takes the top position in the GBD rankings with New York’s Midtown, Tokyo’s Marunouchi, and Paris’ La Défense close behind. The report highlights how competition between business districts is intensifying with the range of the EY-ULI Index scores – a ranking established as part of a previous report – narrowing between the 21 GBDs since 2017. The largest increases in the EY-ULI Index between 2017 and 2020 were by Asian business districts, with Beijing’s Central Business District leading the charge.

“The 2020 Attractiveness of Global Business Districts Report highlights how the ability to attract talent has become even more important when assessing the attractiveness of business districts in comparison to the 2017 edition”, said Lisette van Doorn, CEO of ULI Europe. “Key elements to attract talent include quality of life, health and wellbeing and the availability of a live/work/play environment. Post Covid-19, we expect these human elements to become even more important than they already are. Business districts will have to adjust to a ‘new normal’ and those that do most successfully are expected to rise up the rankings in the future.”

“Among the big questions for business districts will be whether they are able to convince all their stakeholders that they are still special and unique places to operate,” said Marc Lhermitte, partner at Ernst & Young Advisory, France. “Before the outbreak of Covid-19, global business districts were in a high-stakes race to attract talent, new business and capital. For the most part, this will continue, albeit under new rules and those markets that can adapt to a post-pandemic world will be best-placed to succeed. In particular, business districts users will look for optimised, safer and more attractive workplaces.”

“There is no doubt that Global Business Districts will need to adapt to the ‘new normal’ but the Covid-19 crisis has made clear that human beings need social interaction and thrive from it,” said Marie-Célie Guillaume, Chairwoman of the Global Business Districts Innovation Club and CEO of Paris La Défense. “We are confident that the core of a GBD’s attractiveness formula will remain the same. International businesses – which represent the vast majority of GBDs – will need to resume staff meetings, conduct strategic projects, host clients and business partners.”

Five key observations are made by the report authors, including that:

• The concentration of talent, unparalleled business efficiency, and instant connectivity are fundamental strengths of GBDs.
• Prioritising the environment is an obligation to attract talent and tenants.
• Changing working patterns and focus on wellbeing might put pressure on the economic outlook of GBDs.
• Global risks facing cities and GBDs call for collective resilience strategies and collaboration between stakeholders.
• In the long term, GBDs must become inclusive urban destinations, beyond concentrations of office space.