Doughty Hanson & Co Real Estate, one of the largest and most successful
European real estate funds, announces today that it has sold its shares
in Havnestad Syd, a prime residential waterfront development in
Copenhagen, to its joint venture partner Sjælsø Gruppen A/S, the
publicly-quoted Danish project development company.
This will generate a 2.9 times return on the cash investment by Doughty Hanson
Real Estate Fund, return US$14.6 million to investors and represents a
gross IRR of 46%. It is the ninth realisation from Doughty Hanson &
Co European Real Estate Fund I.
The joint venture to develop Havnestad Syd was the first of its kind in Denmark when it was formed
in May 2002. The 67,000 square metre residential development along the
harbour in Copenhagen has been developed in five phases with all of the
740 residential units now sold or contracted for sale.
John Howard, Head of Doughty Hanson & Co European Real Estate, said:
“Havnestad Syd is a pioneering development and with its transformation now nearing
completion, the time is right for us to exit the investment. Our joint
venture with Sjælsø Gruppen has been a great success, we have
established a strong relationship and the joint venture is actively
looking at new projects.”
Sjælsø Gruppen A/S was responsible for project and construction management for the Havnestad Syd project, with
Doughty Hanson responsible for finance and investment structuring. The
development and marketing strategy was developed jointly. It is
expected that construction of the latter phases of Havnestad Syd will
be completed by the end of 2006.
Last year, the Sjælsø Gruppen/Doughty Hanson joint venture sold the Copenhagen Energy
headquarters building in Orestad, generating a 3.7 times return on the
cash investment by Doughty Hanson Real Estate Fund and representing a
gross IRR of 89%.
The third project being developed by the
joint venture is The Royal Scandinavia porcelain manufacturing site at
Frederiksberg in Copenhagen.
On 15 December 2005, Doughty Hanson & Co Real Estate announced that it had acquired a portfolio of 19
commercial buildings at Kings Hill Business Park, Kent (in a joint
venture with Liberty Property Trust), the first investment by Doughty
Hanson & Co European Real Estate Fund II, which announced a first
close last month with commitments of €166.5 million.