In Prague's Chodov Center, there will be 210 stores for four billion CZK

PRAGUE - A new shopping center in Prague, Chodov, will open to the public on Wednesday, featuring 210 stores, a hypermarket, restaurants, as well as a fitness center and bowling alley. The four-story complex, costing four billion crowns, is the first of three phases in a multifunctional project that will also include offices and apartments. The entire project, costing ten billion crowns, is expected to be completed around 2010, according to Martin Macháč, the commercial director of the investment firm Rodamco Europe.
"The uniqueness of Chodov Center lies in the representation of all fashion brands operating in the Czech market," Macháč noted. In a space of 55,000 square meters, visitors will find stores such as H&M, Mark&Spencer, New Yorker, and Zara. "All retail spaces are fully leased," added Macháč.
Visitors to the center will have access to 2,600 parking spaces, of which about 750 are P+R parking spaces. Upon completion of all three phases, the number of parking spaces will increase to up to 4,000.
The socio-commercial Chodov Center is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, which has a population comparable to that of a regional city. It is connected to the D1 motorway and city roads, creating conditions for the establishment of a new alternative urban center.
Work on the Chodov Center project began in the mid-1990s. It follows the previously planned cultural and administrative center Devětsil, which was meant to be part of the final phase of construction of the Jižní Město housing estate. Upon completion of all three phases, the Chodov Center will cover 180,000 square meters.
The Chodov Center was built by the largest construction company in the market, Skanska CZ. The developer of the project is the Dutch company AM Development, which focuses on the construction of commercial and administrative centers, residential, and multifunctional projects. In addition to the Netherlands, it operates in France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. In the Czech Republic, its projects include the Olympia Plzeň shopping center and Olympia Olomouc.
Rodamco Europe owns and manages the Černý Most shopping and entertainment center in Prague. It is one of the largest European companies in the commercial real estate market. In Europe, it owns more than 65 shopping centers, primarily in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Belgium, and Ukraine. In Sweden and Spain, Rodamco Europe is the largest owner of retail units, while in the Netherlands and France, it ranks among the top three largest owners.