NEPI Rockcastle, Central and Eastern Europe’s largest owner, operator and developer of shopping centres, is expanding its 70,000sqm Karolinka Shopping Centre in Opole, southwest Poland, close to the Czech border. An 11,000 sqm extension and partial redevelopment of the mall will add 30 retail units and a new underground car park, while the entire façade will undergo modernisation to seamlessly blend the new and existing buildings. Building permits have been granted, and construction is expected to start later this autumn. NEPI Rockcastle has designed the new units to attract fashion retailers not yet present in the region due to a lack of suitable space and is in advanced talks with several brands looking to secure leases in the Karolinka extension.
Paulina Kurdziel-Świeczka, Asset Manager at NEPI Rockcastle, said: “Our investment to increase the retail space and upgrade the Karolinka Shopping Centre stems directly from strong market demand. We are creating modern spaces perfectly tailored for brands that have not yet secured an appropriate location for their debut in the city, while ensuring that our centre remains competitive in a dynamic economic environment.”
Marius Barbu, Chief Operating Officer, NEPI Rockcastle added: “Portfolio optimisation is a core pillar of NEPI Rockcastle’s growth strategy. Actively seeking opportunities to modernise and expand our shopping centres not only ensures that our destinations continue to meet the needs of local and regional markets but also delivers increased operating income from the new floor space.”
Karolinka is the largest retail complex in Opole and is located 3 kms from the city centre. The mall offers 170 shops and service points – from grocery stores, through to home furnishings and a wide range of fashion and accessories, plus a large car park with over 2,500 parking spaces. Its open-air and covered format attracts customers from a wide catchment area of nearly 235,000 people within a 30-minute drive.
Opole is one of Poland’s oldest historic cities, with its origins dating back to the 8th Century and is the historical capital of Upper Silesia. The city serves as an important educational, administrative, and commercial hub with two universities and an economy based on services, retail and light industry, with good transport links to the major regional centres of Wroclaw and Katowice. It is known as the ‘City of Song’ for hosting the annual National Festival of Polish Song since 1963.
