One of the most modern office buildings in the center of Ostrava, Nová Karolina Park, has changed owners. It was bought from the development and investment company Passerinvest Group by the Ostrava investment group RT Torax Group, which is preparing to build the tallest building in the Czech Republic on the adjacent land. RT Torax spokesman Jindřích Vaněk. The Passerinvest Group described the operation as one of the largest real estate transactions of the year. The companies have agreed not to disclose its value.
Three years ago, the media stated that developer and real estate trader Radim Passer wanted to sell the building for about CZK 2 billion.
The Nová Karolina Park building is part of an extensive development project on the territory of the former Karolina coke plant. It is located on Ostrava’s main avenue on October 28 and is a kind of gateway to the new Karolina district from the historic center. The building was designed by architects Vít Másl and David R. Chisholm from the CMC Architects studio and was completed in 2013.
The six-storey building has 30,400 sqm of leasable space and 280 underground parking spaces. “At the end of 2020, the building was 95 percent occupied,” said Vanek. ABB, Verizon, Česká spořitelna and Stora Enso are among the most important tenants in terms of the size of the leased premises.
“As part of our largest projects, we are focusing on Prague, where we are developing the urban development of BB Centrum in Prague 4 and Nové Roztyly in Prague 11. The successful Nová Karolina Park project in Ostrava was our only project outside Prague, which we assumed could once be in the right time, at an adequate price and sold to a suitable buyer. And that, thank God, has just happened, “said Passer.
Partner and director of RT Torax Group Tomáš Häring described the investment as strategic. “Apart from the fact that the building is occupied by stable tenants of leading companies in the region, it is important for us that its concept, architecture and frugality according to BREEAM certification support our strategy to invest in the development and future of Ostrava,” said Häring.
RT Torax will build a new landmark in Ostrava, a commercial and administrative center with a hotel and flats, on a plot of land with an area of 8,300 sqm between 28. října Street and the Nová Karolina shopping center. According to earlier information, the building should have 60 floors and cost over CZK 2 billion. The author of her design is the architectural studio Chybik + Kristof Architects & Urban Designers.
