Last wednesday Sonae Sierra has held the public presentation ceremony of its future shopping and leisure center, called Freccia Rossa (Red Arrow), a development to be built in the historic center of the Italian city of Brescia, and scheduled to be inaugurated in the Spring of 2007.
Representing an investment of 140 million, to be supported by Sonae Sierra (50%) in partnership with AIG Global Real Estate Investments Corp. (40%) and Coimpredil (10%), the Freccia Rossa owes its name and architectural theme to the mythical Mille Miglia car race, which started and ended in Brescia, and had its course (through Rome) signalled to the drivers through the use of red arrows.
The new shopping and leisure centre will have 30.000 m² of gross lettable area (GLA) and a total of 130 shops, including 23 restaurants, which will make the Freccia Rossa the largest downtown shopping and leisure centre in Italy.
Freccia Rossas offer foresees the multi-screen cinema Quilleri, a PAM supermarket, a Virgin Active fitness center and a Family Entertainment Center. Furthermore, there will be an Information Point as well as a Kindergarten and Nursery service.
Some of the important large shops already commited to Freccia Rossa are Zara, Zara Home, Bershka, Pull and Bear and Oysho.
Benefitting from a privileged location, by the circular road that surrounds the medieval heart of the city, and five minutes away from the train station and bus terminal, the shopping and leisure centre will feature a parking lot with 2500 spaces, 1000 of which owned by the Brescia Municipalityl, thus facilitating visits to the historic centre of the city.
Investing in accessibility, safety and environmental quality
As in all the shopping and leisure centres run by Sonae Sierra, Freccia Rossa will fully comply with the strictest and most demanding quality standards that the Company implements in all its enterprises, especially with regard to comfort, security and environmental protection. Therefore, the new centre will be equipped with the most advanced systems in areas such as sorting and treatment of waste, and monitoring of the water and air quality. The management and energy saving system (BMS Building Management System) is totally computerised. Freccia Rossa will also have tactile paths for the blind and disabled.
Sierra with a strong presence in Italy
Sonae Sierra, who will manage the new development, will reinforce with this project its presence in the Italian market, where it already has two centres in operation, the Valecenter (Venice) and the Airone (Padova) and three new shopping and leisure centre under development the Biella (between Turin and Milan), the Caselle (Turin) and one other in La Spezia, scheduled to be inaugurated in 2008. Sonae Sierra also manages three centres in Italy: the Oriocenter, the largest shopping complex in Italy, located in Lombardy, and the 45N and Bicocca Village, in Turin and Milan, respectively.
Source: Sonae Sierra
