Seixal, March 21st 2006
An investment of € 68 million
Sonae Sierra inaugurates RioSul Shopping, creating 920 new jobs
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137 shops and 39.734 m2 of Gross Lettable Area (GLA)
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7,7 million visits per year scheduled
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98% of the GLA is already let
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Construction work certified by the ISO 14001 environmental standard
Sonae Sierra inaugurates today, in Seixal, the RioSul Shopping and Leisure centre, an innovative development owned in equal shares by the Company and the Pan European Fund. The Shopping Centre represents an investment of €68 million, and will open its doors to the public tomorrow, March 22nd.
The RioSul Shopping is the result of the expansion of the Continente do Seixal Shopping Centre, and construction work began in June 2004. It represents a decisive contribution towards the modernization and increase in the quality of offer in the region.
With a Gross Lettable Area (GLA) of 39.734 m2, the RioSul Shopping will make available a total of 137 shops, including a Continente hypermarket, as well as 22 restaurants and a free parking lot with 2.300 parking spaces, 1.900 of which are indoors.
The RioSul Shopping has immediately captivated the presence of several of the most prestigious brands in the market, and 98% of the total GLA is already let.
Among the brands present on the new shopping and leisure centre are Sportzone, Worten, Zara, H&M, Autocenter and Castelo Lopes (7 cinemas and 1160 seats), Pull&Bear, Bershka, Oysho, Lanidor, Salsa, Springfield, Livraria Bertrand, Loja do Gato Preto, Perfumes & Companhia, McDonald´s, Pizza Hut, Frango da Guia, Loja das Sopas, among others.
Set on a 71.264 m2 site, the new shopping and leisure centre is located at Quinta Nova do Rio Judeu - Torre da Marinha, Seixal, and is served by a diversified road network, including the A2 (Lisbon-South), the EN 10 (Almada-Setúbal) and the EN 378 (Seixal-Sesimbra).
Located in a densely populated region, the RioSul Shopping will serve a population of more than 1,1 million people in a 30 minute catchment area, and is scheduled to welcome 7,7 million visits per year, an increase of 2,7 million when compared to the 5 million visits per year received by the pre-existing Continente do Seixal Shopping Centre. Annual sales are expected to reach € 77,5 million in the first year under operation, excluding the Hypermarket sales.
This new development generated 920 new jobs, to add to the 330 that already existed in the Continente do Seixal Shopping Centre. The new development now employs 1250 people.
Architectural design based on the city's history
With a modern and innovative architectural design, based on the history of Seixal and its typical boats (Varinos, Faluas and Cacilheiros), the RioSul Shopping is a space to be enjoyed by everyone, not only for shopping but also for leisure purposes.
Environmental certification and safety
Certified, in the construction stage, by the ISO 14001 environmental standard, the RioSul Shopping, abides to the most rigorous and demanding quality standards imposed by Sonae Sierra in all its developments, namely in terms of comfort, safety and environmental protection.
Therefore, the new centre features the most sophisticated solutions in areas such as the separation and treatment of waste, or the monitoring of water and air quality. The energy management and saving system is fully computerized (BMS - Building Management System).
In terms of safety, the RioSul Shopping will also benefit from some of the most advanced support systems, such as the automatic fire detection system (SADI), the closed circuit television surveillance system (CCTV), the automatic intruder detection system (SAI), the portable fire-fighting network (RIA) or the access control system.
The Rio Sul Shopping also has a certification for its global accessibility management system, ensured by the UNE 170001-2:2001 standard, which concerns the good access of all visitors to all public areas, namely the ones with moving impairments.
Sonae Sierra, www.sonaesierra.com, is an international shopping centre specialist, with a passion for bringing innovation and excitement to the shopping and leisure centre industry. The Company owns or co-owns 39 Shopping Centres, in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Brazil, with a total (GLA) of more than 1,5 million m2. Currently, Sonae Sierra is developing 13 more projects in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and Greece, with a total GLA of more than 490.000 m2.