McArthurGlen opens its fifth designer outlet village in Italy (IT)

La Reggia Designer Outlet near Naples has attracted some of Europe's best-known brands. It also features one of Europe's biggest solar energy schemes ever used in the retail sector. Once the second phase is open, the €120 mln. center will offer 26,500 m² of retail space.








LaReggia

La Reggia features one of Europe's biggest retail solar energy schemes.



McArthurGlen, Europe's leading developer, owner and manager of designer outlet villages, opened its fifth designer outlet village in Italy, La Reggia Designer Outlet, on 18 February.

La Reggia Designer Outlet will be the first designer outlet in the region of Campania, and is 30km north of Naples. The centre is located in Marcianise, near Caserta, on the A1 motorway to Rome, and just a 20-minute drive from Naples' international airport, the gateway to some of Italy's top tourist destinations.

The first phase of La Reggia Designer Outlet will open on 18 February and includes 17,500 m² of gross leasable area (GLA) in around 100 units, with strong fashion brands – all at discounts of 35-70% – as well as a great selection of cafes and restaurants, including well-known local names.

The second phase of the center is already under way; the first half will open at the end of 2010 (4,500 m²) and the second in the second quarter of 2011 (an additional 4,500 m²). In total, once the second phase is open, the €120 million La Reggia Designer Outlet will offer 26,500 m²of retail with a total of 140 stores.

La Reggia Designer Outlet, which is McArthurGlen's 19th designer outlet village in Europe, includes one of Europe's biggest solar energy projects in a retail scheme, with 2,700 m² of solar panels integrated into the roof. The panels will produce sufficient energy to cover 30% of the center's energy needs, equivalent to 268,200 kWh, enough to supply energy for 80 homes and saving around 180,000 kg of CO2 a year.

Among those brands to open in the first phase, to name just a few, are Aspesi, Ballantyne, Bikkembergs, Blumarine, Calvin Klein, Escada, Gianfranco Ferré, Guess, Harmont & Blaine, Hugo Boss, Liu Jo, Patrizia Pepe, Pinko, Pollini, Replay, Tommy Hilfiger and Valentino.

La Reggia Designer Outlet reflects the Rococo style of the Royal Palace, La Reggia di Caserta, which was built by the Bourbon kings and is one of the region's main tourist attractions. The center's architectural style is also inspired by the Mediterranean architecture and Byzantine-style domes seen on the nearby Amalfi Coast.

Campania is the most densely populated region in Italy, with 5.5 million inhabitants living within a 90-minute drive of the designer outlet.

The region is also one of Italy's top tourist destinations, with 21 million tourists visiting each year, attracted by the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, and the islands of Capri and Ischia, as well as the historic remains of Pompei and nearby Mount Vesuvius.

JW Kaempfer, Chairman, McArthurGlen Group, says: "It is with great pride that we open our fifth designer outlet in a country which is home to so many famous internation

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