Mexico project for Soros team

MEXICO CITY (Reuter) - Three real estate projects worth more than dollars 1bn will be developed in Mexico City by a consortium including the investor George Soros and the Toronto-based Reichmann brothers, company and government officials said.

The projects include residential, shopping and office developments in the historic centre of the Mexican capital, and an upmarket development called Santa Fe on the outskirts.

Manuel Camacho Solis, mayor of the city, said the projects were part of a plan to renovate the centre, which has buildings dating back to the 16th century.

Paul Reichmann said the projects would revitalise areas devastated by the earthquake in 1985, while Mexico's economic reforms would create demand for office space.

'High-quality business environments must be built to meet the demands of an increasingly sophisticated and international business community,' Mr Reichmann said.

The Reichmanns' Olympia and York Developments filed for bankruptcy last year because of debt on its Canadian properties. The Mexico City projects will be their first attempt at international development since the failure of the Canary Wharf project in London in 1992.

Mr Soros, head of Soros Fund Management, founded G Soros Realty Inc in 1992. The company has been acquiring and developing real estate in the US and Argentina.