Bielsko extends its Sfera center

Bielsko Business Center has begun work on the expansion of its Sfera shopping and entertainment complex located in the center of Bielsko-Biała. The investor also intends to develop the area along the Biała River in order to make the area more attractive for the city's inhabitants and tourists. The new construction aims to enrich the metropolitan atmosphere of the city center and expand its public spaces. The development will make use of previously unused areas such as an old petrol station, a large parking lot and the ruins of an old textile factory.

The company plans to build a glass roof over the the new complex's main alley towards ul. 11 Listopada. According to the company, this will join the two separate parts of Bielsko-Biała's downtown. The new part of Sfera will be furnished with fountains, street lamps and small green areas. In addition, the complex will also have apartments and a hotel as well as underground parking, a music club and several restaurants.

"Demolition is almost finished and we are ready to begin construction of the new Sfera development," said Marek Krasiński, board member of Bielsko Business Center. "In the meantime, we are also working on the commercialization of the new complex. Investors' huge interest in our project gives us high hopes that all the commercial areas will be rented out, even before we lay the cornerstone. The completion of construction and the grand opening of our development is scheduled for the second half of 2008."

The first part of the Sfera complex was built in 2001 and covers 24,000 sqm. Its new part will contain 120 shops of 40 to 2,000 sqm each. The new plans envision extending the complex further into the grounds of an old textile factory, bringing the total number of shops to 240, area to 42,000 sqm and 2,300 parking spaces.