BurJuman, a leading mixed-use development including a shopping mall, hotel suites and residences in Dubai, has launched the first phase of a major renovation project, which will include a hypermarket and a multiplex.

The new additions will include a Carrefour hypermarket and a 14-screen Vox Cinemas multiplex following major renovation in one part of the mall, with work on the project commencing at the start of the month.

“The latest redevelopment and expansion phase is expected to further enhance our appeal by offering shoppers greater convenience and access to a full-fledged grocery offering, extended family entertainment options, new F&B outlets and the addition of several new fashion and other brands to our retail portfolio, some of which will be making their first appearance in the region,” said Eisa Adam Ibrahim, GM of BurJuman.

“Visitors not only look at malls as places to shop but as one-stop destinations providing enjoyment and recreation to the entire community. With our expansion we want to strengthen our relationship with our customers and give them easy access to everything they need in one place.”

“The much awaited redevelopment took some time to finalise as the mall was researching and exploring different options to make the product offering wider and stronger for our customers. We are very confident that what we have in store will be exactly what our tenants and shoppers in the area have been looking for,” Ibrahim continued.

He added that the mall has strong and positive relationships with its retailers and has been in ongoing discussions with tenants about the changes it will undergo. The project has received great support from BurJuman’s tenants, Ibrahim said, and the mall management truly appreciates their input and cooperation in this new phase of BurJuman’s growth.

“We will certainly be delivering a better product to our partners and we believe that the enhanced offering will provide a stronger business platform to all our retailers,” Ibrahim added.

The redevelopment and expansion work began on January 1, with a full-scale temporary closure of a part of the mall coming into effect on December 31, 2012, and continuing for a period of 18 months.

Cadiz International Architects are the lead architects and Hyder Consulting are the engineers managing the design and supervision of the project which will culminate in the mall’s total retail area increasing to 1 million sq ft from the current 800,000 sq ft.

In addition to bringing in the hypermarket and adding the cinema complex on the fourth floor, other highlights of the planned renovation include the doubling in size of the current food court and the creation of a link which will connect the new food court to the Pavilion Gardens in the mall’s south wing.

One of the mall’s main exterior entrances will also be completely redesigned and an al fresco dining area will be added at the ground level. Once reopened, the renovated section of the mall will offer a fantastic collection of both large format and boutique-style stores from new as well as existing tenants with a refreshed offering. – TradeArabia News Service