Ardian and Prelios SGR complete sale of Milan office building at the Milanofiori Business Park

Ardian, a world-leading private investment house, and Prelios SGR, one of Italy's most important real estate and securities asset management companies, have completed the sale of an office building located at the Milanofiori Business Park in Milan’s Assago district to Inovalis, a major French real estate investment manager.

The transaction was conducted through a closed-end investment company (SICAF) wholly owned by Ardian and managed by Prelios SGR.

The building has a commercial area of approx. 18,000 sqm and 125 parking spaces. It consists of 6 floors for executive use, 1 ground floor with two food & beverage units serving the tenants, and a basement floor providing parking and archive facilities. The building is located in Milan’s Milanofiori Business Park, a mixed-use real estate complex including offices, residential properties, shops, a multi-screen cinema, hotel, fitness centre and university campus in the south-west of Milan. The area is strategically connected to the rest of the city via the M2 metro line, which provides access to the city’s three main railway stations (Garibaldi, Centrale and Cadorna), and is a 20-minute drive from Linate international airport.

Ardian and Prelios SGR completed major renovation plan on the property between 2018 and 2021. This included a total renovation of the spaces not yet leased and the complete redevelopment of the ground floor. A new double-height lobby was added to the building, alongside the refurbishment of the common areas. The maximum capacity of the floors was also increased. The building has obtained BREEAM certification.

The redevelopment has boosted rental activity and increased occupancy in the building, attracting leading national and international companies which have rewarded the quality level of the property compared to other buildings in Business Park. As a result, occupancy has increased from 51% at the time of purchase in 2017 to 100% today.

"While some parts of the office market outside of city centres have faced challenges in recent months, the redevelopment and extensive improvements completed on this property have seen it reach full occupancy and attract leading international tenants. This highlights the strong demand from the market for Grade A space and Ardian's ability to enhance the value of its real estate assets. The sale of the property to Inovalis is an excellent signal for the market and demonstrates how Grade A office space with excellent tenant covenants continues to attract interest from institutional investors”. Matteo Minardi, Head of Real Estate Italy, Ardian

"We are pleased to have completed the renovation, improvement and sale of the Assago property, which included the significant improvement of the building’s rental profile and sustainability credentials. Against the current market backdrop, this transaction reiterates Prelios SGR's experience in implementing targeted asset management that helps to improve quality and attractiveness for international investors. We are particularly proud to have created value for Ardian through this process”. Nicola Sajeva, Director Asset&Development Management, Prelios SGR

Savills acted as commercial advisor for the transaction. Ardian and Prelios SGR were supported by Studio Legale Gattai, Minoli, Partners as legal and tax advisor. CBRE acted as technical advisor.