Echo Investment presented details of the extension of the Galaxy shopping and entertainment centre in the West Pomeranian region on the 26th of November this year.

The extension of the facility will be carried out according to the design of the Open Architekci architectural studio. The project will completely change the appearance of the most popular shopping and entertainment centre in the region.  “Galaxy has been successfully operating for 12 years. It has an annual footfall of 11 mln customers, an excellent location in the centre of Szczecin and it is eagerly visited by foreigners. The centre is located near an area which can be considered the focal point of culture, business and retail trade. Nearly 600,000 people live within the catchment area of our centre and we are mostly preparing the new, better Galaxy with them in mind,” says Marek Gładki, director of the Commercialization and Marketing Team in Echo Investment"s Shopping Centre Department. The new section of Galaxy is a modern shopping arcade including a square which will not only be a place for shopping but mostly a meeting place for residents of Szczecin and the region. The new Galaxy will be developed around a spacious internal square, which will include a stage for organizing various events. The entirety will be covered with a glass roof, which will provide appropriate access to natural light. After the completion of the extension Galaxy will have a retail area of nearly 60,000 sqm. Its offer will be extended to 200 shops. Drivers will be able to use a total of 1,500 parking spaces. There will be a large fitness club and a lot of debuts on the local market of clothing brands. According to Marek Gładki “the commercialization of the new section of Galaxy is on schedule. Nearly 60 pct of the area has been leased before the launch of the construction. We have already signed contracts with some key tenants – Reserved is to open its flagship shop in the region, which is to have an area of 2,500 sqm and TK Maxx will have a two-storey shop with the same area. Both outlets will be equipped with innovative 10-metre tall shop windows which create an extraordinary area from customers" perspective. Apart from the retail offer we are also extending the entertainment – a Fabryka Formy fitness club on the top floor will complement the existing entertainment and recreation section which consists of a cinema and a bowling alley.” Construction work is to be launched in March 2016 and its completion is planned for October 2017. The project will also involve an exchange of the entire facade of the existing section of Galaxy. The project is worth app. PLN 100 mln. About 500 jobs will be created in connection with the extension.
Galaxy is the most popular shopping and entertainment centre in the West Pomeranian region. Its leasable area amounts to 42,000 sqm. In Galaxy customers can choose from 170 shops representing various industries, a 9-screen cinema and a Real (Auchan) hypermarket. The facility has been designed by the OTH architectural studio and it was opened in 2003. In 2010 the project was awarded a prize in the "Shopping Centre of the Year – Management and Operation" category by the Polish Council of Shopping Centres. In 2013 the facility was awarded a BREEAM In-Use ecological certificate. Last year Galaxy was considered the most convenient shopping place in Poland in a nationwide customer survey assessing the "quality of consumer experience" in shopping centres.
www.galaxy-centrum.pl