Nieuw Oostenrijks flaghip-project voor binnenstadsretail

(origineel Engelstalig persbericht/essay)

On Friday, 28 August 2015, a European flagship project for successful town-center retail opened in Ried/Upper Austria. SES Spar European Shopping Centers is opening a modern shopping center with 22,000 sq m of lettable area in the midst of downtown Ried.

50 new stores, service providers, and restaurants on two levels are spread around a “town square” in the heart of the mall and along lanes in the new center, which connects the commercial establishments of the historic downtown and seamlessly integrates into the existing urban architectural structures of the old town.

The center will operate in close cooperation with Ried’s economy and build on the region’s strengths. SES invested €70 million. It is creating a total of 500 jobs. 800 well-lit, extra- wide, underground parking spaces on two levels were created as a key success factor for the retail location.

The shopping center will also have a small carbon footprint. It will achieve a CO2 reduction of 400 tons per year, among other things through the use of geothermal technology, as compared to its emissions if it used fossil fuels.

The WEBERZEILE combines several international trends in commercial real estate: it is not purely a shopping venue, but provides high quality of stay and acts as a meeting place, with lots of restaurants with outdoor access and total integration into the town center. The sector mix brings new brands while simultaneously concentrating on regionality. The center will strengthen the character of the town, turning Ried back into the market place for the region and bringing back the purchasing power that had drained away in recent years. The individual design also makes the center unmistakable.

Traditional retail location complemented by buying vacant row of houses

SES opted in 2007 for this downtown location on a site that had long been used for retail. The site was home to a Kastner&Öhler department store for many years. SES purchased a row of houses

and surrounding vacant land. With an investment of €70 million, SES has developed the area into a modern, downtown shopping center.

The central aim was integrating with the town. This was also reflected in the briefing for the architects and ultimately in the overall design. ATP Architekten Ingenieure created the architectural concept for the building and the general planning.

Quote from Mag. Marcus Wild, SES Chairman:

“The WEBERZEILE is not a traditional shopping center. It not only unites modern shopping habits with a downtown location, but merges into the town by opening up to the outside architecturally. Total integration is the motto—patios, windows, and balconies provide communication between the users and the environment. This is what the future of shopping looks like. The WEBERZEILE is a national and international showcase for us in terms of the design and cooperation with the town. Our SPAR roots mean we are ourselves retailers. Now we have again qualitatively developed an existing commercial site. High quality of stay, fountains, live plants, quality gastronomy, and much more make the WEBERZEILE the place to be. We are part of the town and work closely with Ried’s economy in every respect” stressed Mag. Marcus Wild, Chairman at SES Spar European Shopping Centers, at the opening press conference. “With this project, we want to prove that successful downtown retailing is possible without legal restrictions for other locations. An important prerequisite for this was the exemplary cooperation with politicians and authorities in the Town of Ried and the province of Upper Austria.”

Quote from the Mayor of Ried, Albert Ortig:

“The WEBERZEILE project has had political support from the outset. We are proud that the new shopping district has turned out so splendidly. The center is part of urban development and provides a role model for other municipalities. It delivers a considerable increase in attractiveness and an extension of the entire town center with the new connection to the central squares and streets,”

said Albert Ortig, Mayor of Ried, summing up the advantages for the town.

Schwanthaler-Zehner as a parallel currency in conjunction with the Town of Ried

To mark the opening of the WEBERZEILE, the Town of Ried’s shopping coin was switched to the tamperproof “Rieder Schwanthaler Zehner.” It can be redeemed at all downtown businesses, in the WEBERZEILE, and in 10 other SES shopping centers in Austria.
SES introduced the “Zehner,” the first voucher redeemable across all its shopping centers, in Austria as a customer loyalty tool and its “own currency” in 2011. Sales of this popular gift and payment method are growing from year to year.

The roots

Citizens involved from the outset

The beginnings of the project stretch back to 2006, then still under Kastner&Öhler. SES decided to get involved at the location in 2007. Citizens and residents were involved from the outset. From 2010-2012, SES bought the necessary plots, in 2012, SES took on the project

completely. The authorities gave the green light for construction in summer 2013 and work began that very autumn.

“A total of 32 plots were acquired in the course of development. The residents were fully involved in the project from the outset through countless personal conversations and informational events. In a citizen survey in 2008, the majority of ‘Rieders’ voted for a shopping center at the current location,” says Alexander Eck, Head of Real Estate Development at SES.

A name with a vivid history

The name WEBERZEILE recalls that Ried was once the center of the linen weaver’s (“Weber”) guild. The street at that time was called Weberzeile. In fact, most of those who lived and worked there were weavers. The linen weaver’s guild was the most important guild in Ried. Until the 18th century, the center of linen weaving in Ried was the western Vormarkt— through which Hauptpoststraße, coming in from Munich, led through the Braunauer Gate to the market and, from 1857, into the town of Ried.

These historical roots are being reinterpreted in the operation of the new WEBERZEILE shopping district, for example in its particular focus on fashion, new brands, and a variety of activities. The Town of Ried took up this idea and restored the name Weberzeile to the road at the opening of the shopping center.

Architecture

Groundbreaking and trendsetting in design and architecture

The WEBERZEILE is a unifying element in the urban fabric and, as a “gateway to the town center,” integrates seamlessly with the existing town structures.

The façade is based on the Inn-Salzach style so present in the Baroque old town of Ried, but with a modern twist. Accordingly, different colors and textures of plasters were used. The passer-by experiences the building not as a large complex, but as a repeatedly permeable “row of houses,” with three main entrances and several alleys. On the ground floor, grand shop windows invite pedestrians to stroll and enjoy, while the numerous windows on the upper floors offer insights into the range of goods. The glazed entrance areas emphasize the facades and direct the gaze inside the mall; a town-facing metal facade conveys urbanity and modernity.

The fusion of old and new is perfected with a 2,500-square-meter “town square” as a central element in the heart of the mall. The interior design, too, is an extension of the facade structure. A reconstructed town street—designed as a continuation of the old town—invites visitors to stroll towards the town center.

The two sales and two underground floors are connected with two banks of elevators and with escalators. Visitors can also reach the upper floor from the ground floor via an airy and inviting staircase.

Quality of stay and ambience

The experience of space is reinterpreted by a square with a cafe, fountains, real trees, islands of green, and through the light-flooded architecture and the view into interesting streets. The 3,500-square-meter curved-glass roof is based on a sophisticated lighting plan and provides a high proportion of daylight. Special shades and lenses that reflect light outwards ensure the mall is bright as day, but also provide glare-free shopping and a high quality of stay.

Warm, natural materials, bright colors, and soft, organic forms characterize the flowing character of the mall. For example, handrails and banisters were fashioned from walnut and the high-quality, 4,000-square-meter mall floor made of natural stone (granite) confers particular elegance and value.

An island of green and two real black olive trees (Bucida Buceras)—one seven and one four meters high—complement the center’s natural atmosphere.
Both the indoor and outdoor areas of the center are designed with guests with disabilities in mind.

Fountains on the forecourt and in the mall

The WEBERZEILE’s northern forecourt near the entrance from Eislaufgasse hosts a water feature that makes for a refreshing attraction for visitors strolling into the center from the old city. Water gushes from continuously adjustable multi-jet nozzles embedded in the stone floor before seeping back into the floor again in the same place. In the winter months, the fountain is invisible and visitors can walk unhindered across the forecourt.

Inside the mall, under the staircase, visitors find an oval stainless steel pool, shimmering in blue with its surface in harmonic motion. The 40-square-meter fountain consists of two levels. The water ripples over the edge of a pool slightly higher up and in so doing forms uniform waves. A riparian zone with plants and a wooden bench stretching around the pool give visitors the opportunity to rest and enjoy the center’s atmosphere. The fountain also has a positive effect on the center’s humidity and acoustics through evaporation and the soft rippling of its waters.

Segment and shop mix

20% of the shop owners are from Ried and the Inn Quarter

“On the one hand, the WEBERZEILE’s shop mix is internationally oriented, but at the same time, it is firmly rooted in the region,” adds SES CEO Mag. Marcus Wild. “More than 20% of the 50 stores are operated by entrepreneurs from the region, either independently or as franchisees.”

During leasing, the management credo was quality, internationality, and regionality at same time. There was massive demand for space, which could not even come close to being satisfied. The last contracts were signed in spring 2015; since the fall of 2014, 90% of the space had already been let.

Anchor tenants / new store concepts

Large-area anchor companies include Eurospar, Kastner&Öhler, Hervis, and a dm drugstore. Media Markt, H&M, Müller, CCC Shoes, and the Varner Group (Dressmann, BikBok, Carlings) are on board and opening their first stores in the region.

Kastner&Öhler returns with a large, modern store at the traditional site. The Executive Director of Kastner & Öhler, Mag. Martin Wäg. commented, “We see the location Ried, where Kastner&Öhler has been represented for the last three decades, very positively, and our investment is a clear commitment to this location. A great project has been created in cooperation with SES, the WEBERZEILE is a great addition to, and strengthening of, the shopping Town of Ried. Kastner&Öhler stands for fashion, a variety of brands, and customer service. We look forward to welcoming our customers at the new location!”

“During leasing, we didn’t want ‘more of the same’ for the center. We wanted to attract new brands to the region and implement long-term concepts for success that our customers will receive enthusiastically,” says Mag. Marcus Wild of the strategy. For many other sectors, it is worth moving a few steps closer to the town center.

Versatile gastronomic offer

The SES leasing team stuck to the motto quality, internationality, and regionality during the selection of catering partners as well. Gastronomy is becoming ever more important for the quality and length of stay. When choosing tenants, the best gastronomic offer for the WEBERZEILE was taken into account. All the cafes, bars, and restaurants are operated by leading Upper Austrian restaurateurs.

Traffic solution and parking

Generous and pioneering traffic system

To meet the rising demand from construction and, later, individual traffic, SES built a central roundabout on Dr. Franz Berger Street before construction began. Four more roundabouts followed as part of the Town of Ried’s new transport concept, which SES developed together with town officials. Ried also installed a new traffic control system in the downtown area in good time before the start of operations. The entrance to the WEBERZEILE is completely intersection free. Everything is geared towards the optimal connection to the Innkreis highway.

Last but not least, SES built an underground loading bay, providing an optimum delivery situation for the operation of the center.

Easily accessible by public transport and bicycle

In order to optimize public transport, the WEBERZEILE offers a Citybus stop and it is also connected to the town’s network of cycle paths. Four E-charging stations for electric cars are free of charge when the center is open, while the eight e-bike charging stations outside are even free around the clock. Pedestrians and cyclists are guided without intersections through the town and around the center.

800 parking spaces, two hours of free parking

800 bright, extra-wide, underground parking spaces (2.75 meters wide instead of 2.30 meters) with six-meter-wide access lanes are available on two levels in the Inn Quarter’s largest downtown parking garage, with an area of almost 30,000 m2. Thanks to a sophisticated guidance system, the underground parking is very easy to navigate and user-friendly. The proven basic system that SES uses in all its centers—an electronic parking guidance system, numbering and color coding parking spaces—was also used in the WEBERZEILE’s underground garage. The entrance and exit ramps are easy to drive on and are heated in winter.

Customers can park for free for the first two hours. The parking fees the WEBERZEILE charges match those of the rest of the town center.

For the opening day, more than 6,000 additional parking spaces will be made available in cooperation with the Town of Ried, which make the center reachable with the free town shuttle bus.

Innovative climate control and energy efficient operation

The shopping center will also have a small carbon footprint. The responsible use of resources, environmental sustainability, and other environmental standards have all been implemented at a consistently above-average level in the WEBERZEILE.

– Thanks to a connection to the environmentally friendly regional geothermal power network, among other things, annual CO2 emissions will be 400 tons lower compared to if fossil fuels had been used.

– The center’s climate control is operated by innovative technology developed by SES professionals. The quality of stay in the center is increased even further and significant economic advantages are achieved with a fresh air supply set according to the number of visitors. The technology, now patented nationally and throughout Central Europe, regulates the climate control depending on the number of visitors in the center.

– LED lighting has been used intelligently throughout the center.

Special Facilities & Services

Quote from Center Manager Brigitte Biberger

“The WEBERZEILE is a center for Wellbeing. It is not designed for a target group. Instead every customer who comes to us will find something he or she likes with us. Our catchment area extends over the entire Inn Quarter—we want to be the meeting place for the region.”

Planet Lollipop

Children under 10 years old can look forward to play, fun, and action in the WEBERZEILE’s 360-m2 Planet Lollipop—the largest indoor playground in the Inn Quarter, with a huge action area, a creative area, and a space to retreat into a book and games corner with specially designed interactive furniture! While shopping, customers can be confident that their children are in good hands with quality care at Planet Lollipop, open from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 7 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 6 pm. There are also two unique party rooms available where birthday parties can be celebrated. SES launched its own brand in 2010 for its children’s adventure worlds, which ensure the highest possible quality and safety for children. All SES shopping centers are equipped with children’s adventure worlds, but the WEBERZEILE is only the third site with the private label concept Planet Lollipop in Austria.

The Weber.Galerie offers art and culture as a daily part of the offer mix.

Shopping centers are urban spaces where SES ensures that art and culture will also always have their place. Thus, the historical roots of the WEBERZEILE are also brought to life in the center’s operation with a gallery on the ground floor, the WEBER.GALERIE. On 28 August, the gallery opens for the first time with the exhibition “in.Sight”, in which the weaver Bernhard Schwarzenlander from the Ried district displays his unique handloomed items.

Free wireless LAN, information, and mobile phone charging station

From free Wi-Fi throughout the center, mobile phone charging stations, and lockers, to a child stroller hire at the center’s info point: the WEBERZEILE focuses on providing a wide range of amenities and family-friendliness .The baby changing and nursing rooms, spacious toilets, and family and children’s toilets are all wheelchair-accessible.

All shops in the WEBERZEILE at a glance

Grocery EUROSPAR

Fashion/Sport

Kastner & Öhler – H&M – Dressmann – Bik Bok – Carlings – Fussl – Colloseum –Huber Shop – mister*lady – Modehaus Mittermayr – Orsay – Rieder Trachtenalm – Tally Weijl – Tom Tailor Casual – Tom Tailor Denim – Hervis – Northland

Shoes/Leather Goods

Deichmann – Humanic – CCC – Leder Hausmann

Watches/Jewelry/Gifts

Bijou Brigitte – modern times by Plakolm – Depot – NanuNana

Toys/books Müller – Thalia

Electronics/Hi-fi/Phones/Photo/Opticians

Media Markt – handyshop.at – Pearle – A1

Drugstore/Perfumery

dm Drogerie Markt – Müller – Reformhaus Martin

Salon/Hair cosmetics

Headwork – Roma Friseurbedarf – dm Frisörstudio

Travel/Leisure

TUI – Blumen Ranseder

Gastronomy

Weber’s – Weberbräu – Ernesto – Haikky Asia – Mahl&Werk – Burgering House

Services/Banking

WEBERZEILE Customer Information–ATM machine/Raiffeisenbank Ried–tobacco machine–mailbox

Amenities

E-filling station for cars and bicycles—nursing/changing rooms—mobile phone charger — Family/children’s toilets

Children’s adventure world Planet Lollipop

Art/Culture Weber.Galerie

Saturday 9:00 to 18:00

 

SES Spar European Shopping Centers

SES has developed, built, and, with the opening of the WEBERZEILE on 28 August 2015, now operates 30 shopping centers in Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe. The lettable area is about 830,000 square meters now. SES is the market leader in the shopping center business in Austria and Slovenia. In 2014, tenants at its locations generated gross sales revenue of €2.57 billion. SES also provides its know-how in project development, construction management, leasing of retail space, and center and facility management as a service. SES’s shopping malls include EUROPARK Salzburg, Austria, crowned the best shopping center in the world in 2007, and ATRIO Villach, Austria, named as the most sustainable shopping center in the world in 2009. SES is a company of the SPAR Austria Group.

For more information, see: www.ses-european.com

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