Two office buildings that constitute part of Arkońska Business Park, the first ever office park in Gdańsk, have changed owners. They have been purchased by GetResponse Properties, a company related to GetResponse – a provider of an email marketing and online campaign management platform. The office buildings, which will now operate on the market as Nowa Arkońska, have a total leasable area of nearly 11,200 square metres. They will be renovated, with the plans in place to upgrade the area and replace the installations, which in turn will increase their energy standard. GetResponse will be partnered by Torus throughout the undertaking, the company which years ago built the entire compound and knows it inside out, and that will also be responsible for the Property and Facility Management of Nowa Arkońska.
Nowa Arkońska – old and new strengths
- Our company – GetResponse - throughout 27 years of the market activity went from an office in the attic to one of the most prestigious office addresses in Gdańsk. Along the way, our company’s day-to-day life took place on Arkońska. We were happy while working over there, and now we want to offer the new-version office space to other entrepreneurs - says Aleksandra Grabowska, GetResponse Properties chairwoman.
When in 2010 GetResponse moved to Arkońska, the main factor was the location – in the heart of the Tricity, equally easily accessible both from the centre of Gdańsk, and from Gdynia as well. The place is superbly served by public transport – it is located close to the main thoroughfare, nearby the SKM Gdańsk Przymorze-Uniwersytet commute train station, as well as the PKP/SKM Gdańsk Oliwa station. At present, the office compound makes up an important piece of the business district which Oliwa has grown into over the past two decades. However, it provides greater cosiness, blended into the diverse urban tissue, with new functions having emerged in its vicinity. Right next door, there is a hotel with facilities for organizing trainings and conferences, and a kindergarten. Many food and service outlets have sprung up in the neighbourhood. The residential housing has emerged, and will keep on evolving.
Elasticity of time, space, and fitout
The main strengths of the new offer will be found in the great availability of diverse space size, along with the possibility of renting fitted-out offices, and signing shorter-term lease agreements. Two buildings of Nowa Arkońska amount to 11,170 square metres of combined commercial space, whose standard shall be elevated, with as many as 152 parking spots available for the lessees. As a result, the tenants will be provided with comfortable space, which will allow their respective companies to focus on business development operations.
- We want to offer some of the area to smaller companies that, while operating in the rapidly-changing market reality, need flexibility to be able to satisfy their office space needs. A custom-made office, in a new building, is usually leased for a minimum of five years. Such time and financial frames are out of reach for many small companies which also strive to have their offices in modern compounds and attractive locations. We are planning to fill this niche – adds Aleksandra Grabowska
In one of the office buildings, there are plans to set up a fitness room which will be used by the employees, as well as by the dwellers of the district. Nowa Arkońska will also be adapted to the needs of people with reduced mobility and disabilities.
Back to the roots and a new opening
The buildings will be renovated by Torus, the company which erected and managed them in the past.
- One might say we know these buildings like the back of our hand. We know what needs to be done to restore them to their former glory. Arkońska Business Park was our first major developer project. In hindsight, we are aware which solutions have expertly served their purpose, and what – with the use of modern technology – can be done better. Aside from the obvious upgrades, such as the renovation of the roofing, we plan to replace the HVAC system, install a new BMS to manage the buildings, and upgrade all luminaries to LED, which will significantly increase energy efficiency. There has been great enthusiasm among Torus employees since they learnt we would again work on Arkońska. Such a great amount of energy must translate into awesome results - says Sławomir Gajewski, Head of Supervisory Board at Torus.
- We are well aware that the scale of the planned renovation works might cause short-term inconveniences to the current tenants. For this reason, we are embracing this process with special care, and we are going to talk and search for optimal solutions with each tenant individually. We believe that the effects of our work will contribute to the success of the companies that will trust us and go through this change side by side with us. We hope that by the end of 2026 the tenants will enjoy the renovated space, and the entire compound, already in a new setting, will gain widespread interest on the market – adds Aleksandra Grabowska.
Torus will also provide a comprehensive facility management service of Nowa Arkońska.
- We are coming back to the offices we know well, though, as a team, we are approaching the matter with great ambition. For our team, it is an opportunity to prove the competence and high-quality service that we offer these days on the market. The service which is not merely included in the performance of particular contractual tasks, but requires effective cooperation with the owner and the community of tenants - says Paweł Gołębicki, Director of Facility Management department at Torus.
