After 10 years of the turbulent history of the project, the inhabitants of Bełchatów have a real gallery. On Wednesday, April 26, the grand opening of Bawełnianka - the most modern shopping and entertainment center in the region - took place.

The Bawełnianka Shopping Center is located in the heart of the city, on the site of the former Bełchatów Cotton Industry Plant.

For many years, Bawełnianka was synonymous with a failed project in the retail industry - an extremely unsuccessful one - since the facility was built, empty and not rented for ... 10 years! The reason for this state of affairs was certainly the lack of experience of the original investor, but also the competitive situation and the construction of another large gallery in the city at that time.

A new investor - GBB Invest asked for help from our company a year ago - recalls Maciej Mazur - President of the Management Board of Mallson Polska. Despite the fact that hardly anyone believed that the "revival" of Bawełnianka was possible - we decided that the time of easy projects - especially when it comes to shopping malls - was over and therefore we undertook the task of reactivating the facility from a commercial point of view. We were responsible for developing the strategy, commercialization of the facility and supervision over the commercialization previously carried out by C&W.

First of all, we redefined what kind of project Bawełnianka should be. Due to the location, architecture, and the possibility of offering tenants and customers very good quality space - we rejected the previous idea of filling the facility with furniture shops or only discount stores. We decided that the project, if properly positioned, has the potential to become No. 1 in the region and compete for the best tenants.

It was nice to observe a gradual change in the attitude of the market and tenants. At the beginning, no one believed that Bawełnianka would "get up". Even a few weeks ago, someone was spreading information among tenants that the facility is not leased and nothing will come of it. So the greater the satisfaction - we have great stores and a place that has won the sympathy of residents and customers from the entire region.

The satisfaction is all the greater because, as we know, there are almost no projects of new shopping centers in Poland. Therefore, Bawełnianka showed that rumors about the end of shopping centers are premature and we hope that there will be more examples of successful reactivation of such projects.

Bawełnianka's main tenants include: the only brands in the city: Reserved, Half Price, Mohito, Cropp, House, Carry, W.Kruk, Vistula, Wólczanka, Pizza Hut, Ochnik, Woolworth and eobuwie. In addition, customers can also shop e.g. in CCC, Apart, Rossmann, Pepco, Dealz, Verona, Via Moda, Vision Express, Swiss, Tedi and Media Expert. Biedronka opened its market in the latest concept, which, together with the neighboring Lidl market - located 100 meters from the mall - provide the widest grocery offer in the region. Customers were also interested in the largest gastronomic zone in the city in a unique industrial style, located by the icon of the city and Bawełnianka - a historical chimney.

Soon we will inform you about the acquisition of other well-known brands for the last free premises. 100% of the leasable space is to be opened - there are only a few stores left and the full offer will be available after the holidays at the latest.

There is also a comfortable car park with 700 spaces at the customers' disposal.

About the Investor

GBB Invest sp. z o.o., the owner of the gallery, whose majority shareholder is TG Capital Sp. z o.o., belongs to a financial holding operating mainly in the development and investment industries. Since its establishment, the holding has been developing dynamically, drawing initial capital and business experience from the family company, which is a manufacturer and distributor of metal products, operating continuously since 1965.

About Mallson Polska

Mallson Polska is a consulting company offering professional services at every stage of development and operation of commercial real estate. The company's activity includes comprehensive consultancy on the retail real estate market, in particular the assessment of the potential and profitability of projects, commercialization of shopping centers and retail parks, as well as handling their sale.
The company's portfolio includes a total of 100 open and under construction projects of modern commercial facilities with a total area of over 900,000 sqm. sq m, and is currently in the process of commercialization and recommercialization of over 60 shopping centers and retail parks throughout the country.