Echo Investment: subway access is key for future developments

Polish developer Echo Investment, which is listed on the Warsaw stock exchange, with a capitalisation of around one billion euros, will invest approximately 300 million euros in developing office projects and shopping centres within the next few years. Adrian Karczewicz, business development director of Echo Investment, believes Bucharest’s precarious infrastructure will prompt real estate developers to erect office buildings close to underground stations, in order to ensure easy access for future employees. Most office buildings under development in the capital are in the Northern part of Bucharest, where Pipera is the only underground station. However, the continuous northward expansion has prompted real estate developers to build projects without access to a transportation network, which has caused traffic to become increasingly busy. “Future office buildings will be developed in areas where there is an underground station close by, which would provide easy access. For instance, due to the uncertain development of the infrastructure in the northern part of the capital, where there are traffic jams every day, the developers could look towards the Western part of Bucharest as an alternative,” explained Adrian Karczewicz.