The expansion of the Katowice office market has been accelerated over the last two years, according to JLL. The City has been recognized as a bright spot on the outsourcing map and a good place for business services centers. The position was confirmed by several lease agreements signed in 2014.
Tenants usually choose Katowice after analyzing such factors as the office space rental costs and labor costs, also taking into account that the City has direct access to over 2 million residents in the wider area of the Katowice agglomeration and has a strong position as an academic center, can be read in the latest ABSL report on the business services sector in Katowice.
48 lease agreements were signed in Katowice in the first half of 2014. The largest transactions during this period were concluded by: UPC (renewal, 5 685 sq. meters in Green Park), Artifex Mundi (new lease, 2 111 sq. meters in Opal building at 8 Szewczenki St.), eSKY/World Express (renewal, 1 860 sq. meters in Green Park), Wincor Nixdorf (pre-lease, 1 790 sq. meters in Brynów Center I) and Capgemini (new lease, 1 500 sq. meters in Atrium). The largest deal signed so far in the second half of this year was the new lease of Teleperformance (2 300 sq. meters) in the Alder building of GPP Business Park.
At the end of the second quarter of 2014, Katowice boasted 9 office modules over 1 000 sq. meters in existing buildings and 6 projects under construction. Tenants are thus provided with perfect rental options.
Further development plans include such office projects as: Silesia Star II (12 700 sq. meters, developer – LC Corp), A4 Business Park III (12 100 sq. meters, developer – Echo Investment), Silesia Business Park III&IV (21 340 sq. meters, developer – Skanska) and the fourth stage of GPP Business Park (7 500 sq. meters, developer – the Upper Silesian Industrial Park).
It is estimated that by the end of 2014 the total office stock in Katowice will exceed 350 000 sq. meters.
