Estates Gazette’s must reads: 26-30 May

Here’s a wrap-up of some of the top stories on Estates Gazette from the past week. Redical Holdings’ proposed acquisition of Nuveen’s 25% stake in the 850,000 sq ft retail element of Edinburgh’s £1bn St James Quarter has collapsed.Redical deal to buy Nuveen’s St James Quarter stake falls throughIndustry figures say the broker model needs to improve and adapt to an increasingly digitised flex office market and growing flex operator brands, after WeWork owner Yardi’s regional director called to “disintermediate” brokers.Flex offices: To broker or not to brokerDevelopers and funders in the UK’s build-to-rent sector are increasingly looking across the Atlantic for inspiration – and caution. Law firm Womble Bond Dickinson surveyed 700 UK BTR developers and investors, of which 75% believe the more mature US rental market offers valuable insights for the UK as it scales up delivery and seeks to stabilise returns in a challenging macroeconomic environment.UK build-to-rent looks stateside for lessonsWhen many institutional investors were fleeing the retail sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, Columbia Threadneedle Investments doubled down – but not on high streets or shopping centres. Instead, the company channelled money into what its team believed others had overlooked: retail parks. Estates Gazette got the inside scoop.Inside Columbia Threadneedle’s £2bn+ bet on out-of-town retailThe government is sharpening its focus on speeding up housing delivery with a new consultation paper that proposes a range of reforms — from increased transparency to the potential introduction of a “delayed homes penalty” for developers.Government floats ‘delayed homes penalty’ to accelerate housing delivery Other stories not to miss: REIT bosses on a market upturnRethinking retail and finding fellow travellers with Grosvenor’s CEOPension megafund reforms to unlock billions for property and growth sectorsSME builders given boost as government shakes up planning rulesLifeArc to land in London’s King’s CrossFormer Intu investors look to sell 50% stake in Manchester ArndaleCrosstree acquires Argyll in £330m dealTrocadero insurance rent claim will spur cases, says lawyerBill Post: New towns still lead to old problems Photo © Savills