Four new lease transactions were recently signed in the “Nowe Katowickie Centrum Biznesu” office building (NKCB, New Business Center of Katowice). The new tenants’ list includes PKO BP and Prudential, which re-enters Katowice after more than 70 years.
The Poland’s biggest bank, PKO Bank Polski, marks its strong presence in NKCB. The company leased 500 sq. meters at the ground level where the customers service unit is established. Moreover, PKO will open its first regional Private Banking Center in the building. It will cover several hundred square meters to be situated at one of above floors.
Only a selected group of customers will have an access to the Center. There are only a few Private Banking units of PKO BP in Poland. Apart from the high level of comfort and service, they are famous for its modern design of elegant reception area, waiting and meeting rooms. The interiors architecture prepared by the Robert Majkut Design studio is dominated by black color and a bit of gold features as well as high quality furnitures. For example, a Zaha Hadid sofa was provided for the Private Banking Center in Warsaw.
Prudential is the following tenant which chose NKCB. This United Kingdom-based leading international life insurer and financial company signed a leasing contract for approximately 300 sq. meters. The branch was officially opened a week ago, on 21st of March. The insurer already hired 30 consultants and sales specialists and is going to add 20 job positions in the months to come. In Katowice, the company sets up its first Polish branch office outside Warsaw.
The firm is now re-entering Poland and Katowice as it was already operating in the country and in the City before the Second World War. The assets of Prudential’s Polish Business were seized by the Nazi occupying authorities, following the invasion of Poland in 1939. At the official website of Prudential, the company presents a name list of former staff members of the Katowice branch, who worked in the City over 70 years ago (the Polish offices of Prudential were based in Warsaw, Katowice, Łódź, Poznań, Vilnius and Lviv before the 2ndWW).
The list of building’s new tenants includes also one more business entity – part of the top floor of NKCB is being adapted for a restaurant. The operator rented 200 sq. meters for the food service purposes. The facility is to be opened soon.
The anchor tenant of the building is Unilever. The company signed a leasing contract for 5 400 sq. meters of office space last year. Nowe Katowickie Centrum Biznesu was delivered in December 2012 and is located at 6 Chorzowska St.