Construction of business complex Sirius Offices commenced in New Belgrade - Erste Group invests EUR 39 million

Erste Group is going to invest EUR 39 million in the first phase of construction of the business complex Sirius Offices in New Belgrade, at the corner of Milutina Milankovic Boulevard and Antifasisticke borbe Street. Once all the work is completed in March 2017, this business center will include 18,500 square meters of office space, outlets and stores, while underground garages in this building will have a capacity of 230 cars. The first tenants will also move in around that time, and this complex will become a new headquarters of Erste Bank Serbia.
The business center Sirius Offices is located in the business part of New Belgrade, where it is excellently connected with other parts of the city by infrastructure. Construction work will be carried out in two phases. The plan for the second phase is to build additional 12,500 square meters of office space and 160 parking spaces. Once finished, this business center will feature around 31,000 square meters of office space.

The guiding idea of the Sirius project is ecological sustainability, so the space will be built in line with the highest environmental standards in order to provide ideal working conditions and optimize the costs of users. This business complex will be constructed in compliance with the BREEAM certificate and it will be characterized by high energy efficiency, minimum energy consumption for heating and cooling, while materials used in construction will be recyclable. The contractor is Strabag.

The foundation stone for this business complex in New Belgrade's Block 43 was symbolically laid at a ceremony attended by Richard Wilkinson, the chairman of the Executive Board of Erste Group Immorent, Slavko Caric, the chairman of the Executive Board of Erste Bank Serbia, and Sinisa Mali, the mayor of Belgrade, along with numerous business partners and associates.

- Over the past 15 years, Austrian companies have invested EUR 2.8 billion in various projects in Serbia, which earned Austria the top spot among foreign investors. With its experience in the provision of financial services spanning nearly 200 years, acquired across the countries of central and eastern Europe, Erste Group is starting yet another successful project with the construction of Sirius Offices in Belgrade, the value of which will reach EUR 39 million already in the first phase. Belgrade is rapidly growing into a business hub of the region, and we believe in its further development and are absolutely sure that our new project will be as successful as our previous operations in Serbia - Richard Wilkinson, the chairman of the Executive Board of Erste Group Immorent, said on that occasion.

The business complex got its name after the shiniest star in the sky, which actually represents a binary system of stars and has a look that resembles the two buildings that will be built within the Sirius Offices complex.

- For 15 years the Erste Group has been actively participating in the provision of services and financing of the economy and population in the market of Serbia, and we have so far invested about EUR 150 milllion in real estates in Serbia. Our portfolio is mainly comprised of shopping centers, hotels, residential facilities, business buildings and storage spaces. In line with the business strategy of all members of the Erste Group, we are glad that our new business building will also be ecologically sustainable and characterized by innovative and modern technical solutions - Slavko Caric, the chairm of the Erste Bank Serbia Executive Board, said and stressed that Sirius Offices would practically be located in the center of New Belgrade once the implementation of all announced investments and projects in its vicinity was completed.

Belgrade Mayor Sinisa Mali expressed satisfaction with the fact that significant investors like the Erste Group recognized Belgrade as the most attractive investment destination in this part of Europe.

He noted that a record number of building permits had been issued in Belgrade since the beginning of 2015, for the construction of as much as 400,000 square meters, adding that the new central bus station would be built in Block 42, in Sirius Offices' neighborhood.

On the occasion of the start of construction of this business center, the Erste Group is going to donate EUR 10,000 to the retirement home Bezanijska Kosa, which operates as part of the Gerontology Center Belgrade.

- A big number of users of services of this retirment home took active part in the construction of New Belgrade, and they deserve credits for what we now have a chance to continue with further investment and construction of this complex, which is why we owe them our gratitude - said Richard Wilkinson, the chairman of the Executive Board of Erste Group Immorent.

The authorized commercialization agent is Jones Lang LaSalle.