Corio invests EUR 42m in Rotterdam covered market

Amsterdam-listed retail property specialist Corio has announced it is investing EUR 42 mln in a covered market in Rotterdam. The market will accommodate about 100 stalls, each one about 20 m² in size and selling almost entirely fresh products, together with 15 retail units and eight catering outlets. Developer Provast will complete Markthal Rotterdam in 2014.

With this development Corio aims to respond quickly to new trends and consumer demands by cooperating closely with retailers based on flexible agreements. According to Corio, the construction of Markthal Rotterdam comes at just the right time to take advantage of the changing requirements imposed by the government on the sale of fresh products at outdoor markets.

Markthal Rotterdam is being built following a southern European model in the heart of Rotterdam, in between modern homes and office buildings linking up with major shopping streets in the city such as Lijnbaan and Hoogstraat. The market hall will be right next to Blaak railway and metro station in the middle of the Laurenskwartier, which is aiming to become the new gateway to the city centre. The building will accommodate a covered fresh-food market as well as various types of catering outlets. Beneath the building a four-level basement car park with 1,200 parking spaces is currently being built, together with an Albert Heijn supermarket. The arch above the market hall will feature 228 apartments.