After the acquisition in November of three Polish malls, retail property fund manager Pradera Europe is preparing to play its next card. In an interview with PropertyEU, the head of Pradera’s Italian arm Roberto Limetti says the company is finalising talks on over EUR 300 mln worth of retail deals in the Italian market, where 'it is still possible to find secondary cities with an almost complete lack of retail provision'.

After the acquisition in November of three Polish malls, retail property fund manager Pradera Europe is preparing to play its next card. In an interview with PropertyEU, the head of Pradera’s Italian arm Roberto Limetti says the company is finalising talks on over EUR 300 mln worth of retail deals in the Italian market, where 'it is still possible to find secondary cities with an almost complete lack of retail provision'.

The purchases are expected to feed Pradera's open-ended retail fund, which has yet to make its first investment in the country, as well as the company's third European vehicle, planned to close later this year. In Italy, Pradera has been active since 2001 with the opening of an office in Milan, and currently manages
EUR 800 mln worth of shopping centres and retail parks throughout the country. It is planning to expand its team from an existing staff of 11 to 15 by the end of 2011.

The full interview appears in the February edition of PropertyEU Magazine. Click on the link below to subscribe