Arno Visser, Alderman for Urban Management, Sport and Culture in Almere Buiten, will break the ground for the expansion and redevelopment of the Buitenmere shopping centre on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 11.00.
The expansion in the centre of Almere Buiten is being developed and realised by Multi Vastgoed (southern section) and Urban Interest (northern section) in cooperation with the municipality of Almere. The three have signed an agreement to cooperate in the coming years to develop the centre into a fully-fledged district centre for the over 50,000 people living in Almere Buiten. The municipality of Almere is responsible for the design and realisation of the public spaces in the area.
Expansion
In total, approximately 26,000 m² retailspace will be added to the centre. Café’s and restaurants, leisure activities and social/cultural facilities will also be incorporated into the area. About 300 flats above the shops will be available to rent or buy. Additional parking capacity will be provided around the shopping centre, adding approximately 1900 parking places, most of which will be realised in parking garages. The shops, residential and other facilities will be opened in phases from 2010 to 2013.
Southern section
Multi Vastgoed is responsible for developing the southern section. The existing shopping centre is the property of Unibail-Rodamco and currently offers about 8000 m² of shop floor. The expansion and redevelopment will result in a shop floor area totalling 16,500 m². Besides the shops, approximately 150 more flats will be added, as well as three parking garages.
Important aspects of the project include the relocation and adaptation of the existing Albert Heijn supermarket to accommodate an AH-XL, a relocation for the Lidl, a HEMA branch, the ability to accede to the expansion preferences that current tenants have expressed, and the addition of shops in sectors that are currently not on offer.
Richard Reulink (Director of Retail Developments at Multi Vastgoed) has this to say: "Besides running your everyday errands, the emphasis will shift much more strongly to comparative shopping. A large HEMA and various fashion formulas will provide a more varied range of options. We hope to give the people of Almere Buiten a centre that matches the customers’ expectations. In addition to the supermarket cluster, the revamped Globeplein will be an important part of the new shopping area."
Northern section
Urban Interest is the developer responsible for the northern section of the shopping centre. The expansion in the northern section comprises 18,000 m² of shop floor and 150 homes. As a result, the expansion and redevelopment will yield 30,000 m² in shop floor, 150 homes and 800 parking places in various parking garages. Important aspects include the enlargement and relocation of the C1000 supermarket, the construction of a leisure building at the site where the police station is currently located, and the addition of shops in sectors that are currently not on offer.
Concept
T+T Design from Gouda is responsible for the concept of the southern section. S333 from Amsterdam is the architect responsible for designing the initial stage of the new buildings. Bureau 3xNielsen, an architectural firm based in Arhus, Denmark, is responsible for the design of the buildings around the Globeplein. The architects working on the northern section are ZZDP Architecten from Amsterdam, Mei Architecten from Rotterdam, Queeste from The Hague, Attika Architekten from Amsterdam and Buro van der Goes from Hilversum.
Sustainability
The expansion and redevelopment of the shopping centre in Almere Buiten is in line with the philosophy held dear by both developers, that sustainable development is absolutely essential in urban centres. The principles associated with this philosophy have accordingly been applied as broadly as possible in the design and realisation of the buildings. In addition, the plans contribute to a sustainable future for the centre of Almere Buiten; the expansion promotes the retention of purchasing power, boosts local employment opportunity and improves the social cohesion in Almere Buiten and the surrounding area.