Silwana – the new brand name of the largest retail park in the Lubuskie province, which is being developed in the north-eastern part of Gorzów Wielkopolski. The investors, Acteeum Group and Equilis, together with the city authorities, held the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone and revealed the new name and logo of the park. The facility will have a total area of 25,000 sqm GLA and will accommodate almost 40 stores. The grand opening is planned for Q3, 2024. Commercialization of the Silwana shopping center is nearing completion.
Silwana – a retail park like no other in Lubuskie Voivodeship
Silwana will be the largest shopping center of this type in Gorzów Wielkopolski and the region. The complex is being built on a plot of land with an area of 8 ha, located at Walczaka, Silwanowska and Jedwabnicza streets, at one of the main entrance roads to the city center, which ensures easy access for both residents of Gorzów and surrounding towns. Moreover, investors declared the renovation and reconstruction of Walczaka Street.
On a total area of 25,000 sqm Silwana will accommodate almost 40 stores, including the first Decathlon and Jula stores in Gorzów, as well as other brands like Sinsay, Cropp, House, Diverse, HalfPrice, New Yorker, CCC, Martes Sport or 4F, dm, Jysk, Smyk, Tedi and Maxi Zoo.
Silwana’s advantage, in addition to convenient access, will also be a large and convenient parking lot: 800 parking spaces and infrastructure for charging electric vehicles: cars, scooters and electric bicycles. In addition, truly extraordinary in Silwana will be the elements of small architecture, including: benches, bicycle racks and baskets. They will be made of 100% recycled composite using innovative technology utilizing re-use of raw materials from… clothing. Being an absolute novelty in Poland, the ecological material closely resembles wood, is durable, resistant to weather conditions, and does not absorb water. However, this is not the end of Silwana’s eco-advantages: the facility will be partially powered by solar panels, it will use rainwater in sanitary installations, and the planned plantings in the area will be consulted with environmental protection specialists. It will be the first retail park in Poland and one of the first in Europe with the BREAM Excellent ecological certificate.
Thanks to Equilis and Acteeum, the Silwana brand returns to Gorzów
Silwana is a legendary company in Gorzów. Its local importance can be compared to FSM in Bielsko-Biała, Ursus in Warsaw or the Poznański Factory of Marchlewski in Łódź.
Gorzów Silk Factory Silwana was one of the most important enterprises in the city after World War II. The plant was established in 1949 on the basis of the Max Bahr jute and bag factory. In the 1960s and 1970s, the plant developed successfully giving workplaces for over 3,400 employees. For many residents of Gorzów, this factory is still close to their hearts – because they either worked or had internships here, or had relatives working there. The history of ZPJG ended in 2014. Now the investors developing the retail park have decided to return the name Silwana to the map of Gorzów.
– We wanted the Silwana logo to refer to the best times of that factory, and when creating it we were inspired by the historic one. In this way, we want to ensure that although our project has a slightly different purpose, our goal is for it to still be associated well with both the past and the present. We hope that, just as in the past, people from all over Poland came to the previous Silwana to buy silk textiles, they will also visit Gorzów to shop in the newly developed Silwana.
– says Tomasz Szewczyk, Managing Partner Acteeum.
– The retail park will be built in the north-eastern part of the city, opposite the former Silwana, so out of respect for several generations of Gorzów residents who remember it, we decided, together with the Gorzów authorities, to reactivate its name. However, before we decided on it, we asked for the opinion of the people of Gorzów. It turned out that it still had great associations. We will try to make it not just a relationship through words and logos. We will cooperate with local authorities, local historians and local opinion leaders to ensure that together, through exhibitions and events organized in Silwana, we recall the important role it has played for many years. We want to revitalize this part of Gorzów again.
– says Xavier Pierlet, Chief Investment Officer Equilis Europe.
Construction works of Silwana began in September 2023, and the opening is scheduled for the third quarter of 2024.
