Sparkassen Immobilien AG opens Sun Plaza, one of the largest shopping centres in Romania

• An investment volume of EUR 200m; 80,000m² of lettable space
• Well-known anchor tenants include Cora, Baumax, Mobexpert, C&A, Flanco, Cinema City
• Over 130 shops, cafés and a food court with seating for 1,200 people
• Additional highlights include bowling, entertainment, a sports hall and a nursery
• Central location at the Piata Sudului traffic junction in southern Bucharest
• Direct access to the underground, 2,000 parking spaces

The listed company Sparkassen Immobilien AG (Bloomberg: SPI:AV, Reuters: SIAG.VI) will celebrate the official opening of its Sun Plaza project, one of the largest shopping centres in Romania, with a three-day programme starting today. With an investment volume of EUR 200 million and 80,000m² of lettable space, Sun Plaza is Sparkassen Immobilien AG’s second largest development project. Its project partner is the Romanian-French EMCT group, which has already implemented a range of successful shopping projects together with customers such as Carrefour, Cora, Bricostore and Baumax.

Talking about the newest addition to the company’s real estate portfolio, Friedrich Wachernig, the chairman of the Managing Board at Sparkassen Immobilien AG, said, “Sun Plaza has an outstanding mix of tenants, a unique location and excellent transport connections. And the shopping centre will create over 3,500 new jobs, making it an important driving force for the local economy. We are pleased to be opening a successful development project as outstanding as Sun Plaza, particularly during these difficult times, and it is a symbol of our continued confidence in the Romanian market.”

Sun Plaza: “Sensational Destination”

Together with the project partner EMCT, Sparkassen Immobilien AG has worked over the last three years to create an all new type of shopping centre in Romania, located in southern Bucharest, in the city’s fourth district, between two main traffic arteries and directly connected to the underground network. With outstanding architecture designed by the renowned English architects Chapman & Taylor, the shopping centre has a land area of 208,000m² and now provides space for international labels and local retailers. Sun Plaza offers visitors three areas spanning 80,000m² of lettable space: shops offering day-to-day necessities, numerous international labels from the fashion industry and a wide range of entertainment and leisure options. This mix is intended to make Sun Plaza a “Sensational Destination”, as its slogan says, as well as the most popular shopping centre in southern Bucharest.

Appealing tenant mix

The anchor tenants at the shopping centre are Baumax, which is opening its first shop in Bucharest here, the French hypermarket chain Cora, the Romanian furniture shop Mobexpert, Cinema City, C&A, Flanco and Deichmann. The other top international labels at Sun Plaza include GAP, Marks & Spencer, Douglas, Sephora, Zara, Humanic and Orsay. In addition to more than 130 shops, there are also various cafés and a food court with seating for 1,200 people, where visitors can sit back and relax. A cinema with 15 screens, a 2,000m² bowling and billiard club and a casino provide a wide range of entertainment options. A special highlight at Sun Plaza is its social and community facilities, including a nursery, a playground, a sports hall and a concert space. The shopping centre is 96 per cent leased, meaning that it is full except for a few smaller areas.

Direct access to the underground

Sun Plaza is centrally located in southern Bucharest, between two main traffic arteries, at Piata Sudului. It offers direct access to the underground as well as other outstanding transport connections, including two levels of parking with a total of 2,000 spaces for visitors. Sun Plaza can therefore be reached easily and quickly by car and by public transport. Friedrich Wachernig added, “Sun Plaza’s access to the underground network through a direct passage is truly a unique selling point. If you are familiar with the traffic situation in Bucharest, you know that public transport will play an increasingly important role in the future.”

Three-day opening celebration

Following a gala event for everyone involved in the project, local journalists, politicians and additional partners on the evening before the grand opening, Sun Plaza will officially open its doors on 25 February 2010 with three days of celebrations, and over 50,000 people are expected to attend. The programme includes a number of visitor attractions, opening specials, and national and international music acts. The highlight of these three days will be an appearance by Grammy-award-winning singer Shaggy, who will perform a live concert in front of Sun Plaza on Thursday evening.