17 November 2016
New name, new tenants, new look: ECE successfully completed the major refurbishment of the former Poznań City Center in the center of the Polish city of Poznan. Furthermore, the completely modernized shopping center has been renamed “Avenida”. The name demonstrates the center’s stronger focus on fashion retail and points to the theme of the mall, which resembles a fashion boulevard. A key element of the new fashion concept of Avenida is the introduction of the fashion retail specialist Peek & Cloppenburg which has opened its first store in Poznan in September on an area of 4,500 m² in the center. Further concepts such as Adidas and Unisono will open new stores in the center by the end of the year. The modernization of the property also included an improved pathway system and signage, an additional escalator, a modern design as well as premium furniture for the mall interior and a new exterior facade. The investment volume for the modernization project totals at 30 million euros.
Among others, a new color concept with warm colors, new, comfortable seating with integrated USB sockets, and many individual design elements create a comfortable ambiance. Moreover, the new themed areas, inspired by the international fashion world, and the central, large plaza-like fashion square with much light and a comfortable lounge atmosphere contribute to a good quality of stay. The improved pathway system enables easy navigation in the center and is a convenient connection for visitors who want to get from the center to adjacent Poznan Central Station or vice versa. In line with this, the unique name Avenida is more suitable to describe the positioning of the center in the city than the old name. This is emphasized even more by the new glass facade, which is not only an eye catcher in the city and allows for a lot of light in the center. It turns the property into a modern shopping destination.
ECE in Poland has already won a prize for the refurbishment of the center. The project was awarded “Refurbishment of the Year” at the CIJ Awards Poland for its new approach and the special efforts that have been made. The CIJ Awards are longest-running commercial property awards event in Poland.
Avenida comprises 200 shops and 30 restaurants and cafes in two food courts on a leasable area of approximately 58,000 m². The tenant mix includes popular brands and international retail concepts such as Bershka, H&M, Pull&Bear, Reserved, Saturn, TK Maxx as well as popular national retailers like the media retailer Empik or the supermarket chain Piotr i Pawel. Approximately 1,500 parking spaces are available at Avenida and the center is located adjacent to Poznan Central Station, which handles 14 million passengers per year. Avenida is owned by the ECE European Prime Shopping Centre Fund I and the Resolution Real Estate Fund.
ECE has been planning and executing comprehensive refurbishments, redevelopments, or extensions for further centers in order to modernize them, adjust them to the latest trends and requirements, and to retain or increase their asset value. ECE currently has several refurbishment projects in progress, among them Silesia City Center in Katowice and Galeria Łódzka in Lodz in Poland and Löhr-Center Koblenz or MyZeil in Frankfurt am Main in Germany.