Sälipark: Giroud Olma invests 100 million in Olten
The family-owned company Giroud Olma plans to invest CHF 100 million in upgrading the Sälipark shopping center in the center of Olten over the next four years.
The project "Sälipark 2020" is being developed in close cooperation with the authorities of the city of Olten and the canton of Solothurn, says Giroud Olma. The Sälipark is to become an "urban, trend-oriented shopping and meeting center". In addition, living space for all generations is to be created. Sälipark 2020 is a pilot project in the new urban mobility plan, which aims to optimally coordinate private and public transport modes.
The Sälipark shopping center opened in its current form in 2003; the neighboring Freizeitland even dates back to the late 1980s. Both building units no longer meet the requirements of this central location. In addition, the outdoor parking spaces in a prime location and the architecture of the current building for Freizeitland do not fit into a modern cityscape.
More sales area
With Sälipark 2020, Giroud Olma aims to address demographic and social trends and create places to linger, innovative shopping and dining options.
Around 40 stores from local, national and international suppliers are planned with a total of 17,000 sqm of sales space. Today, Sälipark is home to 28 retail outlets on 13,000 sqm. The largest tenant in Sälipark is and remains Migros. It will also upgrade the M-Restaurant and make it even more of a meeting place in the shopping center and the neighborhood.
Recreation land is newly built over
Today, the Sälipark and the Freizeitland are physically separated from each other. In Sälipark 2020, these two buildings will be connected in a weather-protected manner. The area of today's Freizeitland including the outdoor parking lots will be newly built over and redesigned. An M-Restaurant and a shopping arcade will be created. Around 75 rental apartments will be built on top.
The city of Olten will hold a public participation process for the project in March 2016. It is expected that the land-use planning for Sälipark 2020 will be made available to the public in November 2016 (zone change with design plan and special building regulations). The implementation planning with plan approval and building permit should be completed in the first months of 2017. The construction work for Sälipark 2020 is expected to start in summer 2017 and will take about three years. (ah)
