Construction works of Andersia Business Centre (ABC), a joint venture between Von der Heyden Group and the City of Poznan have finished on time. In October 2012, the General Contractor, Porr (Polska) S.A. handed over to the investor the construction site with completed high A class complex combining office and retail functions.

With Andersia Business Centre, Andersia Tower and Poznan Financial Centre, the Anders Square has become the heart of business in Poznan attracting renowned Tenants like e.g.: Bank Zachodni WBK, Polkomtel, Franklin Templeton, Ernst & Young, IKB Leasing and many others.

Now, we are pleased to announce that Andersia Business Centre is in the process of negotiating a few significant leases and has just signed a long-term lease agreement for app. 800 sqm  with PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the “Big Four” leading global consultancy firms.  Knight Frank Sp. z o.o. acted as an advisor in this transaction.

On this occasion, Sven von der Heyden, Chairman of Von der Heyden Group, said: “I’m particularly pleased that we have repeated the enormous success of PFC and Andersia Tower and seem to be the third time lucky with Andersia Business Centre, though in a much more demanding business environment. I would like to thank PricewaterhouseCoopers for their continuous trust they put into us. We wish them that they feel like at home at their new office at ABC as they felt in VDHG’s first office development project in Warsaw in 1997. Taking the opportunity, I would like to truly thank all our Partners engaged in this project: the Architects – Mrs Ewa and Stanisław Sipińscy, our General Contractor – Porr (Polska), our Project Manager – Probuild, Bank Zachodni WBK, advisors of Knight Frank and our whole team who have contributed to make this effort and dream come true for us. We are convinced that this project is not our last word at the Anders Square in Poznan, given that we are going to develop one more project on that very location”.

Adam Trybusz, Managing Director of Andersia Business Centre Sp. z o.o. and Von der Heyden Group in Poznan, said: “Every five years more or less, a new building is constructed at the Anders Square. Each one is different and a code of its times. Each project is a challenge, a difficult risk to be taken. However, knocking down all adversity and discontent gives an incredible satisfaction at the end. It’s a great joy to many people. It’s also a great example of mutual trust. We believe that thanks to trustful co-operation with the City of Poznan as confirmed by the new ABC project, as well as thanks to the trust of Bank Zachodni WBK S.A., a leader in real estate financing, in a few years we will be able to hand over to the city another building that will contribute and cultivate the brand of the city. “Poznan – the city of know-how” is not an ISO certificate of the city office but it’s our ID. The ID of the city inhabitants, our business, our knowledge and our obligation as well. We should be glad with what we have achieved but not go asleep because what Poznan need is to wake up from the historical state of well-being.”

ABC PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Andersia Business Centre (ABC) is a joint venture between Von der Heyden Group and the City of Poznan located in the very centre of Poznan. It constitutes the third phase of Anders Square development. For the realization of the ABC development project, a special purpose company, Andersia Business Centre Sp. z o.o. was established.

The first phase of Anders Square development, Poznan Financial Centre (“Intelligent Building 2001 Award”), and the second phase, Andersia Tower (“Building of the Year 2007), were also developed by Von der Heyden Group. PFC was sold to AIB Polonia Property Fund S.a.r.l. in December 2004 and Andersia Tower was sold to DEKA Immobilien in January 2008.

Construction works of Andersia Business Centre finished in October 2012. The building combines modern office and retail functions. It is a high class, 5 storey above ground, office complex located in front of the PFC and Andersia Tower Buildings, in the neighborhood of the Old Town, Stary Browar and Poznan International Fairs. ABC comprises of app. 14.000 sqm net usable area and two underground levels with 140 parking places. The investment value is app. Euro 33 million.

The ABC building was designed by the Architectural Studio of Ewa and Stanislaw Sipińscy who had also designed the previous two phases. Project management has been entrusted to Probuild Sp. z o.o.   Porr (Polska) S.A. acted as a General Contractor. Knight Frank is an exclusive agent and a financial advisor.

Currently Andersia Business Centre is in the process of obtaining LEED green building certificate for sustainable buildings. Tenants will benefit from high performance technologies, energy and water saving solutions as well as healthy finishing materials.

ABC LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY:

The ABC building harmonically completes the right hand side of Andres Square development, still to be followed in future by two more buildings to be located on the left hand side, closing the gap between the Novotel Hotel and aforementioned new developments. ABC provides a representative frontage for Krolowa Jadwigi Street. Additionally, between PFC and Andersia Tower, a modern illuminated pedestrian passage has been created leading to an internal patio between Andersia Tower and ABC. Together with a neighboring Stary Browar, it will add even more life to this office, hotel and retail centre in Poznan.

Andersia Business Centre has a very convenient communication access being surrounded by public roads. The building located close to Królowej Jadwigi Street is 7 kilometers away from the new A2 highway. It takes about 20 minutes (quick and convenient access) to get to the local Ławica airport, and it is a 15 minute walk to reach the train station. About 600.000 people live within 20 minute-drive radius from the building.

Anders Square closes the cultural, entertainment and commercial route which runs from the Old Town and Półwiejska Street. As a commercial building together with the surrounding buildings it makes an attractive business-oriented area.

CONTRIBUTING TO THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT:

The Public private partnership at hand has paved the way to promote the city, its culture and history. The investor participates in city life and except for getting involved in sponsoring cultural and art events, taking part in social activities, it also makes own initiatives, for example “Time Gate” monument designed by prof. Andrzej Bednarczyk and erected in front of the IBB Andersia Hotel, or modern mirrors composition installed lately by Tomasz Wojtkowiak closing the newly created passage between ABC and IBB Andersia Hotel.

The previous undertakings included, for example the construction of the “Cyryl Ratajski Monument” – the famous first President of the City of Poznan, and active support in the construction of the “Polish Cryptographers Monument” – those who decoded the German coding device Enigma. Another and recent example refers to a monument of Roman Wilhelmi, a famous Polish actor born in Poznan, the monument was unveiled in Poznan on November 3, 2012.

For a few years, VDHG have been actively supporting also horse competitions – Memorial of Mr Andrzej Frankiewicz, former vice-president of Poznan and a great sportsman.

Besides the above mentioned activities, Von der Heyden Group via its subsidiaries supports various cultural and educational events. During its presence in Poznan, the Group has been the patron of e.g.: Garrick Ohlsson concert, Concert of Academic Choir of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Malta Theatre Festival, concerts of the Boys’ and Men’s Choir of the Poznan Philharmonic, the main sponsor of series of concerts preceding “Before the Carnegie Hall Debut” of Łukasz Kuropaczewski who as the first Polish guitarist performed in the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York.

Just recently in October 2012, Von der Heyden Group sponsored an outdoor photo exhibition “La Défence à Poznan” together with a conference on Poznan space planning and architecture that took place at the newly created pedestrian passage between ABC and IBB Andersia Hotel, under the patronage of the French Ambassador in Poland and the President of Poznan.

Download:

VDHG press release – ABC end of construction and PWC-16.11.2012