ProLogis, the world leader in managing and developing distribution facilities, has acquired the industrial development business of Parkridge, a European rival, for EUR 447 mln. In a separate transaction, Parkridge's joint venture partner has agreed to sell its 50% stake in the Central European joint venture to ProLogis for EUR 345 mln. The price includes EUR 246 mln of debt to be paid down at the closing of the transaction.

ProLogis, the world leader in managing and developing distribution facilities, has acquired the industrial development business of Parkridge, a European rival, for EUR 447 mln. In a separate transaction, Parkridge's joint venture partner has agreed to sell its 50% stake in the Central European joint venture to ProLogis for EUR 345 mln. The price includes EUR 246 mln of debt to be paid down at the closing of the transaction.

Commenting on the purchase of Parkridge's Astral logistics development business, ProLogis said the deal gave it ownership of an industrial landbank in the UK comprising more than 324 million hectares that can support up to 1.4 million m2 of new development. The estimated value on completion is in excess of EUR 1.7 bn.

Astral has 10 industrial projects under construction, totalling 483,000 m2, and Parkridge recently launched operations in Western Europe, focused on new industrial developments in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain.

Parkridge's 50% stake in the Central European joint venture gives ProLogis access to plots that sopports almost 500,000 m2 of industrial space and there is a further 418,000 m2 under construction. Combined, these facilities have an estimated value of EUR 502 mln on completion. The joint venture also owns 520,000 m2 of existing warehouse facilities.

ProLogis also acquired a 25% stake in Parkridge's non-industrial real estate operations. These include two mixed-use development projects in the UK, a retail warehousing development business focused on the UK, France and Spain, and a retail development business in central Europe.