Press Release - 19-10-04
A Sonae Imobiliária leisure centre
Plaza Mayor's innovative character distinguished with prestigious award
Leisure Centre Plaza Mayor, in Malaga, owned by Sonae Imobiliária, has just been distinguished as the "Most innovative development in integrated commerce" by the Spanish Shopping Centre Association (Asociación Española de Centros Comerciales AECC), gathered in Congress at the city of Seville.
This prestigious award given by the AECC reinforces Sonae Imobiliária's stand as the most distinguished company in the shopping centre business at an international level, having received more than 40 awards from institutions such as ICSC, MIPIM, Spanish Real Estate and Procos.
For Sonae Imobiliária, the AECC award represents the recognition of the groundbreaking concept developed at the Plaza Mayor, a centre inaugurated in April 2002, which brings together in one single site a diversified offer orientated towards leisure and free time: cinemas, sports, bowling, entertainment for children, restaurants, bars, esplanades, discos and shops.
Inspired by the local traditional architecture, the Plaza Mayor recreates a typical Andaluzian village, with streets, squares, gardens and fountains, which resulted in high level of attraction to the public, as proven by the 6,4 million visitors and the € 40,6 million in sales recorded in 2003.
The Plaza Mayor will have its current leisure offer complemented in 2006 with an important commercial area of 17.000 m2, thanks to the opening of Plaza Mayor Shopping. It's an expansion project developed by Sonae Imobiliária (75%) and Castle City (25%) which will make the future Plaza Mayor increase its visitors from the current 6,4 to 9 million people.