So I caught up online with Tomas Kaderabek of the Asociace developerů on Friday afternoon to get his take on the huge planning changes recently.

He says the biggest shift for planners and developers would result from greater simplicity and the embrac of density. That’s because the new Metropolitan Plan is far less granular, moving from dozens of land-use functions to just four. This allows for increased density and height, which are essential for creating more economical and ecological urban environments.

Also, the modernized decision-making process under the new construction law will move permitting from fragmented municipal offices to a state-managed agenda. This shift ensures the state is 100% responsible for the process, promoting consistency and reducing the administrative burden that has historically held back infrastructure project.

Municipalities should win, however, because contrary to concerns about a loss of democracy, local councils actually gain more power over their own land-use plans, says Kadeřábek. They retain the right to decide what they want for their communities, even if that means blocking a specific development.

The post Tomáš Kadeřábek (Assoc. of Developers): A giant leap for planning! first appeared on ThePrime.cz.

That flat structure underpins how Demaco has evolved: from service provider into a developer holding its own long-term portfolio. “We are really a full-scope developer. We start from sourcing the land, permitting, looking for the client, leasing, construction — and even after completion, managing the properties,” Raus says.

The conversation ranges across the shocks that have defined the past few years, from the pandemic through interest rate volatility, and the nearshoring wave now pushing manufacturers to anchor supply chains in Central Europe. Demaco’s answer is proactive risk management and a strengthened internal infrastructure to carry its growth targets through 2026.

The post New podcast episode! With Demaco’s new CFO Zdeněk Raus first appeared on ThePrime.cz.

“The growth of the company naturally brings the need to strengthen the structure and responsibilities within the group. Zdeněk has been a long-term partner in managing the company and his entry into ownership is a natural outcome,” Budař said.

Raus said the step reflects his deepening commitment to the group. “I know Demaco in detail — from a financial standpoint, to its management and individual projects, and it makes sense for me to take on ownership responsibility,” he said. “This means above all a commitment to contribute to the group’s further growth while maintaining financial stability and sustainable financing.”

The company will continue as a family-run firm in which partners bear direct, personal responsibility for decisions. “The   family character isn’t just a marketing label for us, it’s the way we run the company. Behind every decision there are specific people who bear responsibility. We want to preserve this principle regardless of how much the company grows,” said Kaizr.

Demaco now operates seven industrial parks with more than 60 tenants and a portfolio exceeding 180,000 sqm of industrial space across Kolín, Ostrava, Pardubice, Valašské Meziříčí, and Brno. It’s also carrying land capacity of over 100,000 sqm that’s earmarked for development. As a general contractor, the group is currently delivering projects worth CZK 2 billion. It focuses on manufacturing and technologically demanding facilities under its Design & Build model.

Demaco has been built without external capital and currently maintains a group-wide LTV of approximately 41%. It covers the full project cycle (design and permitting, construction plus asset, property, and facility management) with a team of 19.

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The post Zdeněk Raus named equity partner at Demaco first appeared on ThePrime.cz.

As Pavel Novak (Head of Office Agency at Savills Prague) told me more than 55% of Prague’s office stock was built before 2010. And only 12% of the market has been built since 2020.

“You have more than 200 buildings that are more than 20 years old,” he told me on ThePrime Pod. “I think that’s a bigger issue right now than the lack of new development. That’s just some of the background to the current situation, in which new lease deals are longer than ever and renewals dominate new leasing.

Companies face a brutal choice between costly relocations and ageing space — and some global occupiers are starting to ask whether Prague still makes sense at all. The situation plays into the hands of real estate investors interested in a sector with a miniscule amount of new stock. But it’s not helping build Prague as a dynamically growing place to do business.

The post New podcast! Pavel Novak (Savills) on the worsening office squeeze first appeared on ThePrime.cz.

The issue isn’t whether this or that tariff is justified, he argues. The problem is elsewhere.

“You’re destabilizing currency markets, you’re destabilizing government bond markets, you’re destabilizing credit markets, you’re destabilizing equities. In doing all of that, you’re upending financial modelling to a certain extent. And that then does affect real estate investment.”

“This risk-free rate in dollars is becoming unstable. And as it does that, it automatically makes financial markets more volatile.”

But at least he’s got good news for real estate landlords and investors with assets in place.

The post New Podcast with Mark Robinson (EnCor Wealth Mgmt) first appeared on ThePrime.cz.

In fact, it’s unlikely the residents of Jinočany: while the project could have given Jinočany residents direct access to the D0, they said ‘no’. The fear was that cars would flood into the village anytime the D0 became clogged, or whenever the same happened heading into Prague from the D5. By the same token, there are two parking lots for the Lidl: one for access from Jinočany and another for shoppers arriving from the D0 or Stodulky. The two lots are not connected and are separated by a steep grade to prevent people from trying to barge through.

Vais originally set rents at Logport West between €7 and €8 last year, but they’ve since risen by approximately 10%. He notes that despite continuing inflation and the lack of vacancy around Prague, rents are no longer skyrocketing. Invesco acquired the project in a forward deal completed towards the end of 2022. The price it ends up paying will be determined once the park is leased and stabilized.

The post Logport West project update with David Vais first appeared on ThePrime.cz.

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The post ThePrime Pod: Jakub Kodr on ESG, Solar panels and construction prices first appeared on ThePrime.cz.