Focus Park's second coming
Focus Park, Parkridge Retail Polska's second retail and entertainment development, was opened in Bydgoszcz late last month. The complex is the second completed commercial development under the developer's Focus Park brand name.
"When we started out four years ago with plans to build shopping and entertainment centers in downtown areas of cities with populations of up to 400,000, many observers were skeptical of our ability to make a mark on the domestic retail market. Yet our pioneering projects turned out to be a success," said Jarosław Fijałkowski, president of Parkridge Retail Poland.
The E60 million (zł.17.4 million) Focus Park in Bydgoszcz features a total area of 93,000 sqm, making it one of the largest shopping centers in the region. It was built on the former site of a processing plant and some historical town buildings. These historical buildings were partially preserved, adapted to new functional requirements and included in the shopping arcade complex to host restaurants, bars and offices.
Focus Park in Bydgoszcz has been built in line with the developer's concept of incorporating historical elements of the site into a modern retail development. The complex's interior also features a number of artistic elements.
"[The Bydgoszcz] Focus Park has a unique ambience and a wonderful climate due to the works by renowned artists on display and the historical features that have been preserved," said Agnieszka Drucis, PR director at Parkridge.
The first Focus Park business and entertainment center was opened in Rybnik in September 2007. Parkridge Retail Polska is currently developing a new site in Zielona Góra, and venues for subsequent Focus Parks include Piotrków Trybunalski, Gliwice and Jelenia Góra.
Parkridge Retail Polska has also introduced another brand called Multi Park. It targets cities with a population of over 50,000. The first Multi Park is currently under construction in Âwidnica.
The developer estimates that the value of its retail developments will reach zł.4 billion in the coming years.
