Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała's expansion will double its area Courtesy of Gemini Holdings

 The Siemacha Recreation and Intervention Center for Children will be open from November this year, after the expansion project of Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała has been completed. 

After the expansion, the mall will add 70 new retail stores to the existing 80, as well as a number of new restaurants and entertainment facilities. The building will also host a spa, a medical clinic, as well as fashion and multimedia stores.

The shopping center in Silesia is expected to grow from the current 27,500 sqm to 55,000-59,000 sqm. The new facilities will cater not only to shoppers' needs but also to those of underprivileged children from Bielsko-Biała.

"Opening the Siemacha center within the mall is our duty to the citizens of Bielsko-Biała. This is how we try to put our social responsibility values into practice," Rafał Sonik, president of Gemini Holdings, told Lokale Immobilia.

"We want to aid underprivileged children by providing them with professional psychological help, as well as facilitating their education and physical development. We strongly believe we can make a positive and lasting impact on their lives," Mr Sonik added. "This project will give them opportunities to spend their time in a productive manner rather than just hang out in the shopping mall."

The Siemacha youth center will occupy between 500 and 1,000 sqm of space on the third floor of Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała. It will offer music classes led by professional music teachers, foreign language lessons, art and computer classes. All of these will be free of charge as part of an equal-opportunity program for underprivileged children.
"We expect to look after at least 500 children here," said Mr Sonik.

Gemini Park Bielsko-Biała will be the fourth shopping center to host a Siemacha youth center, the other three being Gemini Park Tarnów, Mielnium Hall in Rzeszów and Galeria Bonarka in Kraków. Gemini Holdings is planning to open another Siemacha center in Kielce and is in talks with shopping mall owners in Radom and Warsaw as well.
Gemini Holdings has been active in the Polish market since 1993 and was previously involved in the development of projects for retail chains including Geant, Carrefour, Tesco and Lidl throughout Poland.

Karolina Kowalska