International

320 Matheson Blvd. W., Mississauga, Ont.

Starlight Acquires Two Office Buildings in Canada

The company entered a joint venture with a European investor to purchase two value-add buildings in Mississauga, Ont., totaling 200,000 square feet.

Panda Power Plant in Datong Shanxi, China

World’s First Panda-Shaped Solar Farm Begins Operations

The 50-megawatt solar farm is the first phase of a 100-megawatt solar facility and was recently connected to the grid.

Okta offices at 171 John Street, Toronto

US Tech Firm Sets Foot in Canada

Okta’s new office will benefit from Toronto’s diverse talent pool, which will help grow the company’s engineering team to better serve its Canadian customer base.

Mallage Shobu, Kuki, Japan

Blackstone to Buy Retail REIT for $650M

The group is expanding its footprint in Asia with the acquisition of Croesus Retail Trust, which owns a portfolio of 11 shopping malls in Japan.

Eminent interior rendering

Castellum Builds Sweden’s First WELL-Certified Building

The company’s investment is estimated at $41 million, including the acquisition of land for the property. The building dubbed Eminent, will offer around 103,000 square feet of office space.

Skanska Closes $56M Prague Office Deal

The 14,400-square-foot property is located near Andel, one of the busiest business areas in Prague, the Czech Republic. The buyer is a real estate fund managed by Triuva.

CIBC ground breaking at 81 Bay St.

Hines, Ivanhoé Break Ground on Toronto’s CIBC Square

The project will comprise two buildings and a one-acre elevated park over the rail corridor. The first property is scheduled for completion in 2020.

Hyatt Regency Makes Amsterdam Debut

Hyatt Regency Amsterdam is the first Hyatt Regency and third Hyatt-brand hotel in The Netherlands. The hotel will offer 211 guestrooms, including 15 suites.

Economy Watch: China Named Top Buyer, Seller of US CRE

One-fifth of realtors that participated in the National Association of Realtors latest survey on foreign investment in U.S. commercial real estate said they had closed a sale with an international client in 2016. They also expect increased sales and leasing activity involving foreign investors this year.

Richard Barkham

The World’s Priciest Office Markets

CBRE’s annual office occupancy costs report highlights the strengths of gateway cities around the globe, including 12 in the U.S. that were among the 50 most expensive markets.