Norwegian property investment manager Verdispar has begun the construction of Lumini shopping centre in Northern Croatia. The project, which represents an investment of EUR 45 mln, will be the first new generation shopping mall in the Varazdin region of Croatia. It will include 80 shops across 33,000 m[sup]2[/sup] of retail space on one level, including cafes and restaurants as well as the first multiplex cinema in the region, Cinestar, featuring six screens.

Norwegian property investment manager Verdispar has begun the construction of Lumini shopping centre in Northern Croatia. The project, which represents an investment of EUR 45 mln, will be the first new generation shopping mall in the Varazdin region of Croatia. It will include 80 shops across 33,000 m2 of retail space on one level, including cafes and restaurants as well as the first multiplex cinema in the region, Cinestar, featuring six screens.

Lumini is anchored by a 7,200 hypermarket and comprises a 45,000 m2 outdoor parking lot with 1,400 parking spaces. Designed by star architects Chapman Taylor and Studio XXL, the scheme will be built by the local construction group Zagorje Tehnobeton Company.

Verdispar announced in mid-2008 that it was planning to develop the centre, with construction initially planned to start in the spring of 2009. Completion of the scheme is scheduled for the end of 2009, early 2010.

Verdispar International, part of the Norwegian-based investment firm Verdispar Holding, is a major provider of property investment and management services within the real estate sectors of the Baltic countries, Central Europe and Southeastern Europe. Established in 2006 in Oslo, the company has offices in Norway, Stockholm (Sweden), Vilnius (Lithuania), Bratislava (Slovakia) and Zagreb (Croatia).

The company manages over 2 million m2 of commercial and residential development projects in Lithuania and Croatia on behalf of Scandinavian individual and institutional investors.