The cornerstone ceremony for Galeria Chełm, the first shopping centre in the town of Chełm, was held on Friday, 22 March 2019. Held near the intersection of Lubelska street and Rejowiecka street, the ceremony was attended by representatives of the local government, the project investors Acteeum Group and Equilis Europe SA, prospective tenants as well as other companies involved in the development.
The symbolic foundation act for Galeria Chełm was signed by Jakub Banaszek, Mayor of Chełm; Monika Woźniak-Zawioła, CEO Equilis Poland; Tomasz Szewczyk and Henrik Stig Moeller, Managing Partners at Acteeum Group, and Joanna Makowiecka-Gaca, CEO Karmar S.A., the General Contractor of the project.
“The laying of the cornerstone is a special moment on any construction site. Galeria Chełm will now take more and more shape every day and will be ready to welcome first customers in a year. We firmly believe that we will create an attractive shopping and leisure destination for residents of Chełm and the entire region as well as customers from the neighbouring countries of Ukraine and Belarus,” said Monika Woźniak-Zawioła, CEO Equilis Poland.
The joint venture by Acteeum Group and Equilis will offer 55 retail outlets over a total area of 17,500 sq m. The project will involve the reconstruction of an over 1-kilometre section of Lubelska street, with a safe bicycle path to be built along. A car park for more than 500 cars will be created right next to the shopping centre.
“We would like to thank the authorities of Chełm for a professional partnership that enabled us to go ahead with the construction. Our shopping centre will become an important amenity for the local community, making shopping easier without the need to travel to other cities. Our development has already earned trust from popular Polish and international brands, with the occupancy rate at Galeria Chełm reaching nearly 80% one year before the opening,” added Tomasz Szewczyk, Managing Partner at Acteeum Group.
Galeria Chełm will be home to a range of shops, including Lidl, CCC, SMYK, Rossmann, RTV Euro AGD, Martes Sport, Reserved, Sinsay, House, Cropp, Home&You, Diverse, Pepco, Esotiq, Swiss, Ziaja, Play as well as a Świat Książki bookshop. The customers will enjoy restaurants such as Olimp and Deli Pizza in addition to a range of services, including an exchange office and a green dry cleaner.
Construction works on Galeria Chełm went into high gear about a month ago. The opening of the approximately €30 million shopping centre is scheduled for Q1 2020.
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The architecture of Galeria Chełm was designed by NCA Architekci. It is being constructed in line with green building principles, applying for the “Very Good” rating against the BREEAM certification scheme.
