Peloton Real Estate and Moorfield Group, the UK-focused real estate investment manager, have formed a joint venture to put together an initial £100m portfolio of open and outdoor storage assets throughout the UK.
The JV has made its first investment with the purchase of an 11.4-acre site in Garston, Liverpool, for £4m.
The open storage strategy will focus on assembling a geographically and occupationally diverse portfolio of sites, with the aim of generating a secure income profile, while adding value through active asset management initiatives.
Moorfield is the majority investor in the JV, on behalf of its Moorfield Real Estate Fund V, with Peloton primarily responsible for identifying acquisitions and operating the portfolio.
The Garston site was formerly an industrial estate that was demolished in preparation for the development of a residential scheme.
The area is set to benefit from the commercial growth being witnessed at the nearby Garston Docks, which is owned by Associate British Ports, and other major infrastructure projects in the immediate vicinity of Speke and South Liverpool.
Open storage is a fast-growing real estate sub-sector in the UK, with demand being driven by HGV, van and private car parking, recycling, storage of building materials, containers, and scaffolding, as well as potential from electric vehicle charging.
Investment director Nick Okell, at Peloton, said: “This is a hugely valuable and fast-growing sub-sector of the industrial market and one that is critical to supporting the growth of the economy.
“We look forward to aggregating a diversified portfolio by location, size, and tenant, seeded with this attractive acquisition.”
Chris Perera, senior investment manager at Moorfield, added: “The partnership continues our track record of pioneering institutional investment in less established sectors, which are supported by demographic and technological trends, alongside best-in-class operators.”
David Tyson, director of asset management, said: The site is close to major transport infrastructure including Garston Docks and Liverpool John Lennon Airport, as well as a number of major manufacturing companies including JLR and Ford. Open storage land is a scarce commodity, and this acquisition provides a necessary resource to support the expansion of these businesses.”
Peloton Real Estate / Moorfield were advised by CBRE on the site acquisition while the vendor was unrepresented. CBRE and B8RE will be the retained agents for the site.
