The Board of Tritax Big Box REIT has announced that it has acquired the distribution centre at Kingston Park, Peterborough, let to Amazon UK Services Ltd, for a purchase price of GBP42.9 million (net of acquisition costs), reflecting a net initial yield of 5.6% on the corporate acquisition.
The purchase is being funded from equity proceeds, with senior debt finance expected to be introduced in the near term. The property is one of Amazon’s major distribution centres in the UK, fulfilling general merchandise online orders and groceries throughout the UK and Europe. The distribution centre has benefited from significant capital investment from the tenant with further initiatives currently underway.
The property was built to a high specification in 2006, comprising an eaves height of 15 metres, offices, a secure HGV trailer park and extensive parking. The facility has a gross internal floor area of 549,788 sq ft with a low site cover of approximately 42%.
Kingston Park, Peterborough is well positioned in a core logistics location with excellent motorway connectivity across the UK, located just off junction 17 of the A1M, and links to the M1 (via A47) and A14, which provides a direct route to the Port of Felixstowe and the Midlands. Furthermore, Peterborough was the second fastest growing UK city over the last 10 years (as at 2015), thereby providing a large and growing workforce to draw from, underpinning the longevity of the area as a major UK distribution location.
The property is being acquired with an unexpired lease term of approximately 8.7 years subject to five yearly upward only rent reviews indexed to the Consumer Price Index (collared and capped at 1.5% p.a. and 2.75% p.a.). The next rent review is due in April 2020. The passing rent is c. GBP4.50 per sq ft with a capital value cost equivalent to approximately GBP78 per sq ft.
BBOX : Tritax buys Amazon distribution centre