Big screen deal

Silver Screen has signed an agreement with real estate developer and manager Neinver for the lease of space in the Galeria Malta project in Poznań. This will be Silver Screen's first investment there. Galeria Malta is scheduled to open in March 2009.

The cinema operator's 10-screen multiplex will occupy 3,800 sqm in the shopping center and will offer 2,000 seats. Three screens will offer high-standard "Platinum" space which boasts a separate foyer, bar and service. Poznań will be the first city outside of Warsaw to host Platinum screens.

"Poznań is a very well-developed and wealthy market. We want to deliver the best multiplex in that market, offering the highest customer service and unique Platinum screens with leather seats and space for things like company meetings," said Roman Jarosz, Silver Screen's marketing director.

Poznań already has a 20-screen Cinema City multiplex. Jarosz noted that the new Silver Screen location would differentiate itself from the competition with the quality of its offer.

In addition to its cineplex, Galeria Malta will host around 200 retail outlets, a Piotr i Paweł supermarket, a Reinhold fitness club and a number of Polish and international fashion brands such as H&M and Royal Collection. Built on an eight-hectare plot, the shopping center will offer a total of 153,000 sqm of space, with around 52,000 sqm set aside for retail operators.

The total investment is valued at €125 (zł.432) million and Hochtief Polska subsidiary Poz-Building is the general contractor on the project. Construction on the project involves around 500 builders, and approximately 2,000 workplaces are expected to be created when Galeria Malta opens.