ING Real Estate Development has signed an agreement to purchase 60,000 m[sup]2[/sup] of land in Docks Vauban in the harbour area of the French city of Le Havre for the development of a new retail and leisure centre. UNESCO added the famous port city to its world heritage list in 1995. The Docks Vauban project involves refurbishment of an existing building previously used as a storage facility for cotton, cocoa, coffee, spices and tobacco to create a strong new identity for the area.
ING Real Estate Development has signed an agreement to purchase 60,000 m2 of land in Docks Vauban in the harbour area of the French city of Le Havre for the development of a new retail and leisure centre. UNESCO added the famous port city to its world heritage list in 1995. The Docks Vauban project involves refurbishment of an existing building previously used as a storage facility for cotton, cocoa, coffee, spices and tobacco to create a strong new identity for the area.
'Docks Vauban will offer ample retail space and a leisure centre, which will include a swimming pool, a sports pool, a fitness centre plus an activity centre, ' ING Real Estate Development said in a statement. In addition, a cinema consisting of 12 theatres covering 7,500 m2, containing around 2,400 seats will be developed as well as two car parks offering parking space for some 1,000 cars.
The shopping centre will be housed in the existing buildings which will retain their original features. New buildings to be constructed for the cinema and two car parks. Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2007 with completion scheduled for the final quarter of 2008. ING Real Estate said over 45% of the total area has already been let. Tenants include the main anchors Planete Saturn and Baobab but also El Rancho, Plein Ciel, H&M, Docks Laser and La Grande Récré.
