Hines begins construction of office tower in Gdansk

US-based real estate firm Hines has begun construction of a 19-storey office building in the Polish port city of Gdansk.

Centrum Biurowe Neptun will comprise almost 16,000 m² of office and retail space as well as three levels of underground parking for 159 vehicles. The ground floor and podium level will contain a restaurant, a newsstand and tenant conference rooms.

Completion of the Class A building is expected in the first quarter of 2014. The project is being funded by the Hines International Real Estate Fund (HIREF). The investment volume for the development was not disclosed.

Hines has also started the building's certification process for BREEAM, a voluntary measurement rating for green buildings that was established in the UK by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

Hines is one of the largest real estate organisations in the world. The company has offices in 108 cities in 18 countries, and controls assets valued at $23.4 bn (almost EUR 18 bn).