Geo Mărgescu, Ionuţ Dumitrescu and Johny Jabra currently own together, under the umbrella of Forte Partners, a portfolio of 15 revenues generator properties, evaluated at approx. EUR 26 million, including office building and retail spaces downtown Bucharest, as well as plots in the hottest real estate areas.
Among the first acquisitions made by the three investors under the new umbrella is a land of 12,700 sq.m, part of the former Spicul factory in Orhideelor area in Bucharest, bought from the Spanish company Hercesa. The associates in Forte Partners decided to build here two office buildings with a total area of 57,000 sq. m. They are determined to start the works for The Bridge project even without signing firm leases.
„We obtained the urban permit and part of the approvals. We want to start the works towards the end of the year or beginning of next year, depending on the construction permit. The investment value in the first phase will reach EUR 60 million. Depending on the results of this first phase, we will decide the size of the second building“, says Geo Mărgescu.
The three investors entered direct competition with CA Immo, one of the largest office buildings owners in Romania. The Austrian also own a part of the Spicul factory plot, where they announced the beginning of works for two office towers this autumn, one with 11 floors, the other with 15 floors and a total area of 37,000 sq. m.
Last year too, Forte Partners bought a plot of 1,400 sq. m near the metro station Ştefan cel Mare in Bucharest. The company will develop here an office building with nine floors and 8,400 sq. m, aiming the tenants interested in areas of 1,500-2,000 sq.m.
„We completed already the special foundations and we estimate to deliver the project next autumn“, said Mărgescu. Ştefan cel Mare Building involves an investment of approx. EUR 10 million, the associates considering a loan covering 60 pct. of the development costs.
The capital of Forte Partners includes some dozen million Euros and could be enlarged by selling some buildings or lands in the portfolio, Margescu saying that the company already has offers for.
Ionuţ Dumitrescu sold in 2008 its company Eurisko to the American group CBRE,for approx. 35 million dollars. He focused then on broker activities and on real estate developments.
In 2009 he built the office building HQ Victoriei, with an area of 9,000 sq. m, sold in 2012 to the investment fund Zeus Capital for approx. EUR 12 million.
Last year, he bought from Heineken Romania the plot of 2.8 ha of the former Grivita factory in Bucharest, transaction evaluated at approx. EUR 15 million. The plot entered Forte Partners portfolio and next year it is scheduled the beginning of works for the first phase of the project, including an office and a retail area with a total surface of 37,000 sq. m.
Johny Jabra, together with his brother, Jihad Jabra, owns a chocolate factory in Berceni and part of the dairy producer Lactaprod in Brăila, in bankruptcy. They also developed the office building Nova Building (6,800 sq.m) in Dimitrie Pompeiu area in Bucharest. The building, rented by Italo-Romena Bank in 2008, was sold four years later to the bank for approx. EUR 15 million. The brothers include in their portfolio a series of small and medium office buildings such as Beller Office Building (500 sq.m), in Dorobanti area, occupied partly by Banca Românească, and Aurel Vlaicu Office Building (2,356 sq.m), on Şoseaua Pipera, occupied 87 pct. by Whirlpool Romania. Their properties also entered now the portfolio of Forte Partners.
Forte Partners also owns other plots, apart those already scheduled for real estate projects. „We consolidate some of them, we make Urban Plans for others or we have contracts and we are going to buy them“, added Mărgescu. (source: capital.ro)
