Les Docks Vauban retail and leisure centre opens in Le Havre

ING Real Estate Development has announced the opening of the Docks Vauban retail and leisure centre in Le Havre, France. The scheme is the centrepiece of the transformation of the 18th-century historic harbour - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - into a major shopping, leisure and cultural destination in Normandy.

Menno Maas, CEO of ING Real Estate Development said: 'Les Docks Vauban is urban regeneration at its best, scoring high on sustainability as well. We fully preserved the character and atmosphere of a bustling port in the days of sail and steam. But instead of bales of cotton and sacks of coffee, cocoa and spices, the delicately refurbished harbour warehouses from Vauban's era now offer leading fashion and lifestyle brands, complemented with a wide choice of restaurants, bars and leisure.'

Les Docks Vauban comprises some 60 French and international brands, 10 restaurants, a 12-theatre cinema and 1,100 parking spaces over a total 66,000 m² of gross leasable area. The centre is situated close to the city centre and is at the same directly connected to the highway and very close to the railway station.

The project was co-developed by ING Real Estate Development and Vinci Immobilier. The architecture was designed by Reichen & Robert Associes. The investor is Unibail-Rodamco.