Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Plant Sales of shopping centers in NRW!

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Plant Sales of shopping centers in NRW!

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) plans to convert its portfolio and intend to separate from four shopping centers in Germany. Among them are the two locations in Centro in Oberhausen and Ruhr Park in Bochum, which are not affected by the sales plans. Instead, the Palais Vest in Recklinghausen and the Minto in Mönchengladbach are the focus of possible sales. The reason for this step lies in the increased costs, which are created in particular by the extensive construction project of the Hamburg overseas district, the opening of which is planned on April 8, 2025. Urw has so far not given any detailed comments on these sales plans and refers to dissatisfactory sales in Germany, while the performance in Spain and France is far more profitable.

A drastic event in the history of the Ruhr park was the renaming to "Westfield Ruhr-Park", which took place in 2024. The extended brand aims to offer the highest quality in the areas of lifestyle, shopping, dining and leisure. This renaming was carried out on September 26, 2024 as part of an anniversary event, which was celebrated 60 years after the shopping center was opened. Westfield Ruhr-Park thus becomes the third Westfield destination in Germany, next to the locations in Oberhausen and Hamburg.

growth and attractiveness of the location

The renaming in Westfield Ruhr-Park should not only strengthen the brand, but also increase the attractiveness of the Bochum location and the surrounding region. Andreas Hohlmann, Managing Director for Austria and Germany at URW, emphasizes the connection of the history of the location with the international Westfield brand. Lars Horn, the center manager, emphasizes the added value that the renaming for guests, tenants and the city of Bochum brings.

Westfield Ruhr-Park extends over 118,800 square meters of rental space and offers more than 150 shops. The opening of a new reality gaming concept, Boda Borg, is already scheduled for April. In addition, the leisure offer includes a modern UCI cinema and a variety of restaurants and cafés. The accessibility of the location by car and public transport, including a direct motorway connection, was also optimized.

sustainability in focus

Another remarkable point is the installation of the largest photovoltaic system at a shopping center in Germany. With over 3,600 modules, this system will generate more than 1.4 million kilowatt hours of sustainable energy annually. URW pursues the ambitious goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 50 % by 2030 and 90 % by 2050 compared to 2015. This commitment to sustainability is in line with the wider strategic approach of the company, which focuses on both ecological and economic aspects.