The first modern shopping mall in the Romanian city of Ploiesti, AFI Palace Ploiesti, is 90 percent leased and is set for opening in October this year, according to AFI Europe Romania, the developer of the shopping center. Earlier this year, AFI Europe received a EUR 30 million loan from Raiffeisen Bank International Vienna and from Raiffeisen Romania, to finalize the Ploiesti shopping center.

The new lease contracts include the 1,000 sqm lease for Koton, as well as the retailers Smyk, Vicina, Hello Kitty, Sabon, Cărtureşti, Jack and Jones, Braiconf, Leonardo, Kenvelo, among others. A contract for 2,000 sqm of space with the fitness chain Moving was also signed.

These add to a list of retailers such as Cora, Flanco, H&M, New Look, Reserved, Musette, TimeOut, Collins, Nike, Aldo, Motivi, among others. The restaurant area is already fully leased.

The developer thus started work on a second phase of the mall, which will offer an additional 4,000 sqm, and parts of that were already leased for entertainment services providers, such as Cinema City for a multiplex. The shopping center will also include a 450 sqm ice rink, a 6D cinema space, as well as the Play Station center. The gross leasable area (GLA) will be of 33,000 sqm.

AFI Europe has been active in Romania since 2005, having developed AFI Palace Cotroceni shopping center in Bucharest, as well as the adjoining AFI park 1 office building. Apart from AFI Palace Ploiesti, the developer will also work on AFI Palace in Arad and AFI Palace Bucurestii Noi in Bucharest, as well as on a second office building, AFI Park 2 near the Cotroceni mall.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: the company)