Düsseldorf, Germany - 19th of May, 2009
Opening of the Sonae Sierra shopping centre in Weiterstadt
LOOP5 "takes-off" on October 9, 2009
- Investment of € 265 million that creates 1.000 jobs
- 56,500 square metres of gross lettable area (GLA) with 177 shops
- 95% of the GLA already let
Ready for take-off - this is the signal which Sonae Sierra and it´s partner Foncière Euris are confirming for the LOOP5 shopping and leisure centre in Weiterstadt. On October 9, 2009, the large-scale themed centre, whose motto is the world of aviation, will open its doors after 2 years of construction.
With a gross lettable area (GLA) of 56,500 m2, visitors will be welcomed with an attractive tenant mix comprising 177 shops and restaurants made up of leading international and national brands as well as local tenants. Owned and developed by Sonae Sierra (50%) and Foncière Euris (50%) the LOOP5 shopping centre represents an investment of € 265 million and will create 1,000 jobs.
"The opening of LOOP5 is a significant milestone in our German market growth", states Álvaro Portela, CEO of Sonae Sierra. "All Sonae Sierra centres provide a fascinating shopping and leisure experience and I am sure that LOOP5 - with its innovative concept - will also be a major success."
LOOP5 is a shopping centre ready for take-off
Aviation will be the central topic of LOOP5. And there are several reasons for this: Weiterstadt is close to Frankfurt Airport. Furthermore, Darmstadt is home to the control centre of the European Space Agency, ESA. Internally and externally, visitors will find numerous and diverse design highlights which references to the world of aviation. Beside the significant exterior appearance close to the A5, this includes a corridor in the design of the "Jet-Age", leading from the "Contemporary Aviation" area to the "Pioneers of the History of Flight". With its themed centres, Sonae Sierra creates fascinating environments in which people not only shop, but also love spending their leisure time.
On course for success with the perfect tenant mix
A permanent feature of the Sonae Sierra strategy is to create a tailor-made fully-comprehensive offering comprising retail, services, restaurants and entertainment for the entire family using innovative concepts. LOOP5 is a reflex of this and has already 95% of it´s GLA occupied with tenant mix that comprises high-end national and international brands as well as medium-sized regional retailers. The anchor tenants are Peek & Cloppenburg, C&A, H&M and Saturn. But LOOP5 is also offering space to local retailers, for instance the jeweller Techel, the toy store Faix & Söhne and the Vereinigte Volksbank Weiterstadt. 17 restaurants and coffee shops will provide diverse culinary delights. Currently the company is finalizing the tenant-mix with the final selection of tenants in order to open with the best commercial and leisure offer of the region.
A Green Shopping Centre
As in the case of all Sonae Sierra Shopping centres, LOOP5 is also being constructed according the Company Environmental Management System (EMS). Trough the application of this strategy LOOP5 construction phase was certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 environmental standard. The objective of the Sonae Sierra Green Centres concept is to minimise the environmental impact resulting from the construction and operation of new shopping centres.
About Foncière Euris
Foncière Euris, www.fonciere-euris.fr, is a French stock exchange-listed company specialising in the development of shopping and leisure centres in Europe. The corporation forms alliances with top developers and invests in major projects that help urban regeneration. Foncière Euris is part of the Euris Group controlled by Jean-Charles Naouri. Foncière Euris also owns the Casino Group, France's second-largest stock exchange-listed retail chain.
About Sonae Sierra
Sonae Sierra, http://www.sonaesierra.com/, is an international shopping centre specialist. With passion, we bring innovation and excitement to the shopping centre industry. The company owns 51 shopping centres in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Romania and Brazil with a gross lettable area (GLA) of more than 1.9 million m2. Currently, the company is developing 13 further projects and has 11 new projects in various phases of completion with a gross lettable area (GLA) of 1.1 million m2. In 2008, the company's shopping centres registered more than 429 million visits.