SES Spar European Shopping Centers has opened Aleja Center in Ljubljana on 20 May 2020. The €150 million investment serves as a mixed-use shopping and leisure hotspot. The centre was completed in March, but, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the originally planned opening date had to be postponed. The first shops with focus on local supply opened at the beginning of May, and the entire centre is set into full operation on 20 May. The Planet Lollipop children's adventure world and part of Aleja SKY are scheduled to open at a later date.
Aleja is the fifth shopping centre managed by SES in Slovenia. SES, in its function as developer, investor, and operator, built the centre over a construction period lasting from September 2017 to March 2020 in the densely populated northwest area of Ljubljana, investing €150 million in the new district centre located in the heart of Šiška.
Aleja covers 32,000 square meters of leasable area (GLA) and offers a mix of over 80 international, Slovenian, and local shops, restaurants, and service providers. The shopping centre is 100 percent let, and it houses the most modern Interspar hypermarket in Slovenia, as well as Drogerie Müller, fashion brands XYZ, H&M, Hervis, Reserved, Tommy Hilfiger, and Baby Center, McDonald's, Big Bang, and Mass, to name a few. The Sport Vision brand is set to make its debut in Slovenia. The majority of the 80 shops are scheduled to open their doors on 20 May, with a small number of shops opening their doors one week later due to a lack of available goods caused by COVID-19.
Aleja provides Ljubljana with a mixed-use location for shopping, gastronomy, leisure activities, and sports, featuring numerous innovations. The centre boasts, among other things, “Aleja Sky”, a 6,200-square-meter adventure and leisure zone on the roof of the centre, which is comprised of green spaces, sports facilities for soccer, basketball, and volleyball, two fitness courses, a park that includes paths, seating and recreational areas, as well as a children's playground. A pump track for cyclists, which includes two circuits in front of the building, completes the leisure activity offer. A large portion of the roof areas will be opened on 20 May, with only the areas for team sports remaining closed, for the time being, due to the coronavirus.
The food court is situated beneath a huge dome and offers outdoor terraces for every restaurant connected to Aleja Sky. Domestic and international (Italian, Mexican, and Asian) cuisine will be served on an area covering 2,300 square meters. Fast food restaurants are also available to provide a quick snack. Cafés distributed throughout the centre, round out the offer. The gastronomy areas and Aleja Sky can be accessed from outside via elevators and stairs, both during and outside the opening hours of the centre.
