US Fashion retailer, Urban Outfitters will open a three storey Northern Ireland flagship at Victoria Square, Multi Development UK Ltd’s £320 million scheme in Belfast
Urban Outfitters, Inc. offers a variety of lifestyle merchandise to highly defined customer niches through their 102 stores in the United States, Canada and Europe.
The store specialises in metropolitan hip style products providing women and men's fashion apparel, footwear and accessories as well as a mix of apartment wares and gifts. The company’s mantra is “if you’re an individual urbanite, Urban has your outfit!” One of the leading US consumer products companies, at 15,000 sq ft (1,393 m2) the retailer will also sell apartment wares ranging from rugs, pillows and shower curtains to books, candles and novelties from the Victoria Square store.
“We chose the location in Victoria Square as our location in Belfast as it gives us the traffic from a shopping centre plus a street façade which is key to our Brand statement” quoted Martin Parker, MD of Urban Outfitters Europe. “We believe a site in Belfast will complement our existing site in Dublin and it will be the 13th store to open across Europe”.
Richard Green, Multi Development UK Leasing Manager explains the reason for chasing the retailer to join the tenant mix at Victoria Square: “Urban Outfitters retail offer and philosophy fits with Multi’s aspirations for Victoria Square – it is a hip brand and will be a label new to most people in Northern Ireland.
The tenant mix on offer at Victoria Square will be something not currently available anywhere in Belfast. We are attracting an exciting mix of mid and high-end retailers and brands, many of which will be new to Belfast and Northern Ireland.
We are able to attract the leading brands due to the design concept of Victoria Square. The detail and architecture elegantly mixes contemporary design with traditional buildings, creating a neighbourhood consisting of 17 contextual different buildings. The scheme is designed as a series of streets and public squares containing shops and boutiques, which will effortlessly blend retail with Multi’s luxury apartments and leisure offer. The immense 35-metre diameter glass dome will become a new landmark for Belfast – retailers love the idea of being associated with this.”
Construction on the 800,000 sq ft (75,000 m2) mixed-use scheme is progressing with the House of Fraser façade now complete. Construction on the glazing of the glass Dome at Victoria Square will commence in the New Year with the completed Dome visible to the public six months later. Victoria Square will open in March 2008.
Donaldsons agents acted for Multi Development.
Profile Multi Corporation / Development
Multi Corporation comprises a group of companies carrying out various disciplines throughout Europe in property development, investment, asset management and mall management. With a Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund as its new financial partner, Multi has strengthened its position to become an investing developer and move forward on its path to further growth. Multi’s strategy is and remains focused on developing projects in European countries where significant growth is expected.
Multi Development develops large-scale mixed-use retail schemes, inner-city regeneration projects and offices. To profit from the growth in value of its projects, Multi will retain a selected number of developments entirely or partially within its own portfolio. Multi Asset Management will ensure quality and further growth in value of the project. To achieve this, Multi Mall Management will be conducting the shopping mall management.
Across Europe, Multi’s inner-city projects, shopping centres and business parks appeal to peoples’ imagination. All concepts are conceived through a unique Design & Development formula by our in-house architect practice, T+T Design. Multi’s projects are internationally recognized for their original and innovative nature, quality of architectural character and profound sensitivity to the blending of urban design. Our developments regularly act as the engine for regenerating a city or region. By respecting local culture and style we develop projects with which people can easily identify.
Multi Development’s activities in 18 countries in Europe are conducted from offices in The Netherlands (head-office), United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Poland and Czech Republic.
In the UK, Multi Development has 3 inner-city regeneration projects underway; Victoria Square in Belfast (£320m, 800,000 sq ft) which opens in Spring 2008; Summer Row, Wolverhampton (£265m, 600,000 sq ft) which opens in 2010 and Southgate, Bath (£350m, 417,000 sq ft) which opens in 2011.