Current news

December 2011

Natural heat from biomass for G3: EVN opens biomass district heating plant in Hagenbrunn

Mayor ÖkR Ernst Fischer (Hagenbrunn), Attorney DI Christian Schmidt (BAI), Managing Director Kurt Schneider (Ekazent) and Managing Director Ing. Gerhard Sacher (EVN Wärme GmbH) opened the Hagenbrunn biomass heating plant on 13.12.2011.

EVN created a district heating network and an 8 000 kW biomass heating plant in the Hagenbrunn industrial zone. Environmentally friendly natural heat from the region is supplied not only to the Gerasdorf G3 Shopping Resort, but also to other Hagenbrunn businesses.

"The central theme throughout, including planning, construction and operation of the G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf, is environmentally sound planning and sustainability", emphasises Att. Dipl.-Ing. Christian Schmidt, Technical Head of the BAI real estate developers. "We have, so to speak, invested a lot of energy to sustainably save energy. The contract with EVN is a further highlight of these efforts."

As such, G3 is one of the largest shopping centres in Europe which runs on biomass almost exclusively, thus allowing it to almost do without fossil fuels.

13.12.2011, press release G3: "A shopping centre like no other!" (33 kB) Adobe Acrobat PDF

October 2011

Roof completed, interior in progress, great tenant interest

The G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf, the largest ever Austrian shopping centre to be erected in a single building phase, has reached topping out stage. The entire exterior building section of approx. 750 metres in length, 140 metres wide and up to 22 metres high, with a 60 000 square metre wooden roof area, has been completed, whilst work on the interior of the building is surging ahead full speed.
To celebrate this success, project developers BAI Bauträger Austria Immobilien GmbH, Leyrer+Graf Baugesellschaft mbH, Graf Holztechnik GmbH and Ekazent Immobilienmanagement GmbH invited workers and friends to the topping out ceremony on 28 October.

All the parties involved had the opportunity of inspecting the progress and dimension of this project for themselves. An almost historical occasion, since another shopping centre of this magnitude will probably never be built again in Austria. Ing. Mag. Harald Butter, Managing Director of BAI Bauträger Austria Immobilien GmbH: "To all visitors, G3 will be a very generously and sustainably designed, state-of-the-art market place, bursting with opportunities and offering a special shopping experience."

Work will continue at full speed on the G3 construction site after the topping out celebration. Work has started already on the impressive glass façade and mounting of the panel elements; the next steps will include laying of the natural stone floor, drywall construction and all interior fitments.

Close on 180 shops covering 70 000 square metres of selling space will offer a "feel-good" buying experience when G3 opens its doors in the autumn of 2012. Because the guiding principle for all planning has been to offer the customers the most pleasant shopping experience possible. From transport links, via architecture and design and up to shopping variety and special services, the G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf focuses on one goal: "Feel-good shopping".

October 2011

Open doors at the G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF

The G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf, the shopping centre to the north of Vienna, also breaks the mould when it comes to customer orientation: On open door day on Saturday, 22 October, around 800 residents of Gerasdorf and surroundings were offered the opportunity of inspecting the progress of this impressive building project. For four hours, competent guides took small groups of interested parties on a tour through one of Austria’s most intriguing building sites. Snacks were served along the way, with an opportunity for discussion. Comments a clearly impressed visitor: "The G3 is enormous indeed – and yet laid out clearly. The pleasant atmosphere created by daylight and the curving wooden roof is in evidence already even in the construction stage. I can’t wait for my first shopping spree!"

But a little patience is required still – until the G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf opens its doors in the autumn of 2012.

October 2011

50 years and still going strong!

Ekazent celebrated its 50 years in business in the Wiener Schützenhaus on the 13th of October – the staff and about 100 guests celebrated the success achieved together.

Ekazent’s history
Ekazent was founded in 1961. Austria's first shopping centre – the Hietzing Shopping Centre – was opened shortly thereafter and has been playing a pivotal role in Hietzing to this day. Ekazent continued to shape the Austrian business landscape in the decades that followed, with the development and opening of the Donauzentrum, for instance.

Refer to the attached for a brief Ekazent timeline!

As Managing Director Mag. Robert Podebradsky and Kurt Schneider of EKAZENT Immobilienmanagement GmbH stated on the occasion of the 50-year celebration: "Much has happened and much is still about to happen".

Let us together look forward to the next 50 interesting years with their varying challenges. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

October 2010

G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF – ground is broken

One of Austria’s most interesting commercial real estate projects is taking shape and EKAZENT is playing a key role in its development, planning, management and rental – the G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF.

In the town of Gerasdorf in Lower Austria on Vienna’s northern outskirts the largest shopping centre in Austria built in a single phase is under development. The centre is the hub of new traffic connections and surrounded by a catchment area extending into the neighbouring regions and Vienna north of the Danube and whose population is growing at an above average rate. The shopping centre with the feel-good factor: the G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF.

Following the groundbreaking ceremony on 20.10.2010 the project is really moving into top gear and the G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF is expected to open its doors in early 2012. The eco-friendly building, which boasts groundbreaking architecture and will blend harmoniously into the region, will offer attractive shopping facilities for a catchment area with over 2 million inhabitants. G3 will be a human-friendly, sustainably designed modern market place and communication space with limitless opportunities. The Shopping Resort will offer premium customer service and a truly pleasurable shopping experience!“

The G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF will house approximately 200 shops over a 70,000-m2 retail area. In addition to international sector leaders and a vibrant mix of Austria’s market leaders – from fashion through food to jewellery – a range of regional companies and offerings will also make the G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF a “regional market place.“ Throughout the conception of the G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF the primary objective has always been to make shopping as pleasant an experience as possible for the customer. From perfect transport connections through its architecture and design to its store offering and superb services, everything is geared towards ensuring that the G3 SHOPPING RESORT GERASDORF offers “shopping with a feel-good factor.“
For more information, visit www.g3-shopping.at

May 2010

Local amenities in Vienna are booming: Full occupancy of Ekazent roadside shops and local shopping centres

Even during times of financial crisis, the people of Vienna place a lot of emphasis on local amenities, consequently also resulting in a boom for the shops maintained and run by Ekazent, Austria’s leading commercial property management company and operator of many of Vienna’s shopping arcades and local shopping centres. Ekazent’s two CEOs, Podebradsky and Schneider, can now report that these shopping arcades are now "fully occupied". Ekazent operates a total sales area of 54,500 square metres (18 arcades with a total floor space of 19,500 square metres, and numerous local shopping centres with a total floor space of 35,000 square metres) in Vienna’s local amenity centres, where 330 businesses offer their goods and services as retailers. The largest Ekazent centre is the Schwechat local shopping centre, with a floor space of around 8,000 square metres. More information can be found online at www.nahversorger.net.

February 2010

"Sun Plaza" in Bucharest: new shopping centre established using Ekazent know-how

The new "Sun Plaza" Shopping Centre, located in a southern district of the Romanian capital of Bucharest, opened its doors on 24 February. The new commercial property was built by Sparkassen Immobilien AG as the investor, and is operated by the French-Romanian EMCT Group. Ekazent was also involved with the construction phase as a Centre Management consultant. "Sun Plaza" is a multipurpose shopping centre setting new benchmarks in Romania, even in terms of architecture. International brands and national retailers are present over a floor space of more than 200,000 square metres and a sales area of almost 80,000 square metres. Social and community facilities, ranging from a kindergarten to a sports centre, have also been incorporated into the project. For more information online, visit www.sunplaza.ro.

February 2010

Surviving the crisis with service: Ekazent and Vienna shopping streets work together on staff training

"Together we are strong": In line with this motto, the Vienna shopping streets association and Ekazent are offering a series of courses under the catchphrase "EKCELLENCE by EKAZENT". Workers and staff of the local retail businesses in the shopping streets and the Ringstrassen-Galerien shopping centre will now be even better trained in terms of customer service, friendliness and their service orientation. But the aim of this partnership is also to strengthen cooperation and the opportunities arising from this joint project. "In this way we want to keep purchasing power in the city centre, and not allow it to flow out to the suburbs", point out the businesses behind the project. The background to the project is that in the meantime consumers have started to think even more carefully before they make their purchase decisions. Which means that the service and quality orientation of the sales staff plays an increasingly important role. "In order to do justice to these growing demands from customers, it is essential to give staff professional training ", emphasise the Ekazent staff responsible for the theme of centre management. The EKCELLENCE by EKAZENT training programme, which was developed by Ekazent and has been run successfully for a number of years, fits in well here and offers a qualification opportunity for staff of retail businesses which is unique in Austria.

October 2009

New star on the Tyrol shopping scene opens under the guidance of Ekazent

On 29 October in Kufstein, the new star on the Tyrol shopping scene was inaugurated with great festivities: After being under construction for just 18 months, the "Kufstein-Galerien" were opened; their high quality mix of shopping, lifestyle and entertainment is all set to make them the new shopping gem on the river Inn and to offer the residents of the Tyrol a very special shopping and also residential experience (42 apartments integrated in the complex are shortly to be handed over to their occupants). Ekazent was entrusted with providing guidance on the planning and construction works for the new town centre shopping arcade in Kufstein, and was able to contribute its extensive expertise to the project along with decades of experience. Full information on the Kufstein-Galerien is available online at: www.kufstein-galerien.at

September 2009

Zagreb and Gerasdorf on track to open on time

All construction work is proceeding according to plan and opening dates have also now been established for both the major shopping centres managed by Ekazent, "West Gate Shopping City" outside Zagreb (the largest retail centre in Croatia, www.westgate.com.hr) and "Shopping Center Gerasdorf" (Austria’s most modern retail centre): West Gate Shopping City will open its doors by the end of October in Croatia while Gerasdorf (www.ekz-gerasdorf.at) will open in autumn 2011.

July 2009

Ekazent takes part in 1^st Austrian Salesperson conference

Ekazent Director Kurt Schneider has been invited to take part in an expert discussion on "Trends in sales" at the 1st Austrian Salesperson conference. The event takes place on 10 September 2009 at the Seifenfabrik conference centre in Graz. Other participants will include Michael Richter (Chairman Hypo Versicherung AG), Valerie Kornschober (Miss Styria 09), Otto Buchta (Sales Director Maresi Austria GmbH), Klaus Schauer (Chairman redmail Logistik & Zustellservice GmbH) and best-selling author Umberto Saxer. For more information click here.

May 2009

Ekazent to provide construction consultancy services for new mall in the centre of Kufstein

Ekazent has been awarded the planning and construction consultancy contract for the new Kufstein Galerien shopping mall in the centre of the Tyrolean town of Kufstein. The new approximately 7,000 sq.m shopping centre is slated to open in autumn 2009, further enhancing Kufstein’s image as a shopping destination. For more information visit www.bodner-bau.at. Ekazent was also recently awarded a centre check contract for a retail centre in Klagenfurt which has already been implemented, highlighting the refurbishment potential of the Kärntner Shopping Center.

April 2009

Gerasdorf shopping centre: construction is underway

The construction of the new shopping centre in Gerasdorf is underway and good progress is being made – the first phase is focused on transport infrastructure and the construction of the specialist retail centre. The entire complex is scheduled to open in autumn 2011. For more information on the shopping centre being developed north of Vienna please visit: www.ekz-gerasdorf.at

March 2009

A sensitive redesign of the Kiesel Passage

The "Kiesel Passage", Salzburg’s oldest shopping centre, is being rejuvenated. A well-known designer has been asked to sensitively remodel several areas, permitting the Kiesel Passage to regain its sparkle by the end of 2010: The entrance area is to be adapted and further emphasised and the exterior of the listed building will receive a fresh coat of paint while inside a completely new lighting and colour signposting system are to be installed. Signs are also to be replaced. The modernisation of the underground car park has already been completed and the new colour system and lighting are to be installed soon.

June 2008

Gerasdorf: Start signal legally sounded

The start signal has finally sounded: For the shopping centre project in Gerasdorf, the legally effective UVP authorisation now exists and the project will proceed freely from now on. Ekazent has been assigned to the leasing since the change in ownership and will also run the centre management after completion. Incidentally, Gerasdorf is the first partnership of two subsidiary companies from the real estate holding company, though the two "sister companies" Ekazent and BAI work together closely and well.

May 2008

Austria’s largest tent roof opened

The proverb "April showers bring May flowers" this year also applies to the local supply retail property "Grossfeldzentrum" in Vienna. This is where, on the 19th of May and in the course of festivities, Ekazent is "opening" Austria’s largest tent roof which, with floor space of no less than 3 500 square meters, spans the entire shopping mall. The woven fibreglass membrane roofing is the crowning glory of an extensive refurbishment of a shopping mall dating back to the seventies in basic design, and which is now shining in its new and modern livery after rejuvenation by Ekazent.

Ekazent expands the successful Ekcellence training programme

With "Ekcellence", Ekazent offers a unique training programme in Austria for trade co-workers who wish to continuously improve their customer service and quality of service performance. This extensive training programme is now broadened to include a special module on the "Complaints and conflict management" topic. The intention is to see problem cases as specific opportunities for improved customer relations, good marketing and cost saving potential - via an efficient and well functioning complaint management. The trade co-workers are encouraged to learn not to see complaints as a problem, but as a great opportunity for improving customer satisfaction. A new course of the Ekcellence base training programme (base seminars 1 and 2) starts in autumn 2008 - for information click on the "Ekcellence" link, bottom left on this page.

Ekazent receives centre management order for shopping centre in Tamsweg

A new Ekazent client from the State of Salzburg: Austria’s leading force in retail properties has been commissioned with project development and leasing, as well as subsequent assumption of centre management for a shopping centre in Tamsweg. "This is another promising project in addition to our portfolio of successful retail properties in Salzburg, such as the Alpenstrasse centre or the Kiesel Passage, for instance," rejoices Ekazent management.

April 2008

Ekazent Shopping Centre above industry average

With a value clearly above EUR 4 000 per square metre selling space, the trading turnover achieved for retail property administrated by Ekazent clearly exceeded the industry average in 2007. "We are proud of this and of thereby being able to provide our investors with first class returns through the percentage leases", comments Rudolf Richter, Centre Management Section head at Ekazent, on this success. Ekazent is Austria’s market leader in retail property.

October 2007

Baby stars for Schwechat as shopping center gets a shiny new look

On 19 October the big day finally arrived – the fully renovated Schwechat shopping center was opened, and Mayor Hannes Fazekas conducted the official ceremony. There were T-shirt painting workshops for the children, while impressionist Wolf Frank launched the show for the grownups, followed by cabaret from “Siegfried & Boy”, and musical entertainment from the “Gang Guys” and the “Swinging Ladies Deluxe”. Finally Mayor Fazekas revealed a very special bonus for the city of Schwechat: the first of the new “baby stars”. From now on, every baby born in Schwechat will receive his or her own tiny star, engraved with the baby’s date of birth and name, which will be laid between the shopping center and the main square. More information is available on www.zentrum-schwechat.at.

Austria's largest pavilion roof for the Großfeld center

The refurbishment of the mall in the Großfeld center in the Kürschnergasse of Vienna’s 21st district is progressing rapidly, and will probably be finished in November. Likewise shortly before completion: the new giant pavilion roof. Once completed, this will be Austria’s largest pavilion roof and will become a new landmark in the district. More information is available on www.gfz.at.

September 2007

News on Schwechat, Gerasdorf and the update group

There is news from the world of Ekazent on three important subjects: Firstly, the theme of refurbishmentand the newly formed "update group"have recently been presented to the public in a well attended press conference. Secondly, the planned relaunch of the Schwechat Shopping Centeris close to completion – on 19 October the official opening will be celebrated as part of a major event. And finally good progress has been made with the verbal negotiations on the environmental impact assessment for the new Shopping Center in Gerasdorf – a decision in this respect is expected in the coming weeks.

June 2007

Relaunch of the Schwechat shopping center

The Schwechat shopping center in eastern Vienna has been a much-loved and successful retail property for 20 years – and now it has undergone a total renovation for a relaunch. This means: The acquisition of a further 520 m² of rental space through additional development, general renovation of the parking levels in the multistorey car park with the addition of 50 new open air parking spaces, plus an improved and more customer friendly layout for the access areas. After the relaunch the total area of the Schwechat shopping center will be around 7,600 m². Work has been going on since May on the extensive improvement works and the official opening is planned for 19 October.

May 2007

Gerasdorf Shopping Center: Preparations enter their final phase

With the project information being published in the municipal offices in Gerasdorf and Hagenbrunn, the preparation for the start of the building works for the new shopping center in Gerasdorf has now entered its final phase. If everything goes according to plan, the building works can start in 2008. The new flagship shopping center, which has beenwill be built with an investment of around 150 million Euro, will provide work for 770 people during the construction phase and including indirect effects will create 2,550 new jobs. It will have a total sales area of almost 60,000 m² and is set to become one of the most modern retail properties in Austria. A high architectural standard combined with optimum functioning for both customers and tenants, clearly arranged and convenient shops on one level, a homogeneous surface layout with the familiar proportions of a shopping street, and a mall flooded with light will be the hallmarks of the new shopping center.
More information can be found at www.ekz-gerasdorf.at