In December 2009, Wihlborgs acquired SVT's new building in the Västra Hamnen district. The contract also included development rights for 8,800m².
Wihlborgs will construct a building at this location for a media cluster under the name Media Evolution City (MEC), which will become a meeting place for various activities within the media sector. The building's rental surface will be 7,500m². Leases have been signed with three companies – First Flight, Epsilon and Media Evolution – for half of the rental surface (3,700m²), and construction work will start immediately.
"We are investing SEK 193 million and anticipate a direct return of 7 percent when the building has been completed," says Anders Jarl, CEO of Wihlborgs Fastigheter AB.
Media Evolution City is an unique cooperation project between Wihlborgs Fastigheter, Media Evolution, the city of Malmö, and Region Skåne.
"The Media Evolution City project has exciting potential and a totally new approach," comments Anders Jarl, CEO of Wihlborgs Fastigheter AB. "We will start building now that we have rented 50 percent of the surface. The remaining 50 percent will be occupied by small companies and be fully leased before the building is completed in February 2012," continues Anders Jarl.
Wihlborgs have produced a specific environment program for Media Evolution City, containing measures for energy efficiency, waste sorting, damp measurement, choice of materials, and advice regarding environmental improvement measures. The roof of the new building section will be combined with greenery. The energy goals have been established at Green Building Level, i.e. with an energy consumption that is 25 percent lower than the construction regulations of the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning. Wihlborgs will purchase only "Electricity with Good Environmental Choice" composed of 95 percent hydropower and 5 percent windpower.
"With this project, we will manage 150,000m² in the Dockan area. The proximity to the centre of Malmö, the Central Station and the newly opened City Tunnel make the area extremely attractive," concludes Anders Jarl.
Wihlborgs Fastigheter AB (publ)
For further information contact:
Anders Jarl, CEO, +46 (0)40-690 57 10, +46 (0)733-71 17 10
Christer Johansson, CFO, +46 (0)40-690 57 06, +46 (0)733-71 17 06
Iréne Johansson, Information manager, +46 (0)40-690 57 21, +46 (0)733-71 17 21
Wihlborgs Fastigheter (publ) is a property company that focuses on commercial properties in the Öresund region. Its portfolio of properties is located in Malmö, Helsingborg, Lund and Copenhagen.
Wihlborgs is the leading property company in Malmö and Helsingborg.
The properties’ book value totals SEK 15.1 billion with an annual rental value of SEK 1.4 billion. Wihlborgs is listed on the OMX Nordic list, Mid Cap.