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Merlin Entertainments to invest €15m in CentrO mall
Retail developers CentrOand global leisure giant Merlin Entertainments (Merlin), Europe and Germany’s biggest visitor attraction operator, announced today further details of a €15 million investment plan which will significantly expand Merlin’s business in one of Germany’s leading Ruhr tourist centres – Oberhausen.
Merlin is developing two new high quality attractions in Germany’s biggest shopping mall - CentrO Oberhausen - complementing the company’s existing SEA LIFE aquarium which has been one of the most popular attractions in the area since 2004. Both scheduled to open in Spring 2013 - Ocean Adventure Park will replace the old Centr0 Amusement Park, and is an exciting extension to SEA LIFE taking the marine experience to the next stage; while a new LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre (LDC) will offer an exciting new experience for families with young children.
Merlin took over the management of the amusement park in March last year, and the first phase of development is already well under way. The new Ocean Adventure Park will open with one of the most enchanting and challenging family experiences the company has developed to date, and a first for Merlin - Antarctic Adventure Expedition Extreme – an amazing combination of ride, aquarium and animal encounters which show every element of Antarctica via a series of ‘test zones’, and ending with a Penguin Encounter which will have every member of the family spellbound. "See some of the region’s most beautiful penguins, on the ice and under water – laugh at their antics, marvel at their sophisticated community and just have fun…… and this is just the beginning". In line with Merlin’s strategy of continuous investment for all its attractions, other exciting new features will be added to the Park in the future.
Merlin’s third attraction in Oberhausen will be the company’s newest attraction concept, the unique LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre. Offering a fun, highly interactive and educational two to three-hour indoor experience specifically designed for families with children 3-10 years old. Based on the ever popular LEGO brick, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres provide a range of play areas including a 4D cinema; a brick pool, master classes from the LEGO Master Model Builder; exciting LEGO rides; special party rooms for birthdays and other celebrations.
Also included will be the popular MINILAND exhibit, found in every LEGOLAND Park and attraction, which is designed to reflect the iconic buildings and skyline of each individual attraction’s location featuring buildings nominated by the local community.
The LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Oberhausen will be Merlin’s eighth LDC worldwide and second in Germany, and will replace the one currently operating in Duisburg. The move to Oberhausen offers many significant benefits both commercially with central management, great efficiency and buying power; but most importantly for visitors - who will have an opportunity to take advantage of joint ticket offers and other special activities to encourage them to visit all 3 exciting attractions in Oberhausen.
Commenting, Sabrina de Carvalho, Merlin Entertainments Business Head of Midway Germany, and responsible for the Oberhausen developments, said: “Merlin Entertainments has been operating in Oberhausen very successfully with SEA LIFE since 2004, and now the company is investing more than 15 million euros overall on what will be a brand new leisure destination combining three high-quality attractions and a host of exciting adventures and events for the whole family. It is a great project and we have no doubt that it will be very well received both by local residents in the area and visitors to the town.“
“We have been looking at options for CentrO Park for some time. We didn’t want a quick fix but a high quality long term solution in line with both our own strategy, and our commitments to the City.” said CentrO Director Frank Postges-Pragal. “In our view Merlin is one of the world’s most innovative and creative operators of visitor attractions and the ideal partner with which to develop this project.”
Postges-Pragal continued. “CentrO’s strategic masterplan, as Europe’s leading retail developer, is to take the retail/leisure experience to a whole new level and this partnership with Merlin in Oberhausen is a perfect starting point. Merlin’s 2 new attractions, together with our other planned innovative retail development in the Mall – primarily in der Bunten Grosse – will we believe be a major driver of visits and help establish Oberhausen as a significant tourist destination.”
The city of Oberhausen also welcomed the news. Mayor Klaus Wehling said: “We are delighted at the partnership between CentrO and Merlin – and will give the project our full support. We see these plans as an excellent platform for the further development, not only of CentrO but most importantly the overall tourist potential for the City. The project also reflects CentrO’s commitment to both retail and leisure investment in the area.” Wehling continued: “Merlin’s three high quality global attractions – SEA LIFE, and now the planned new LEGOLAND Discovery Centre and Ocean Adventure Park – will undoubtedly add to the continued momentum here in Oberhausen to increase our visitors and underline our position as a major tourist centre.“ These plans are being developed in close consultation with the City, and Mayor Wehling and the administration are confident that they are in line with the overall economic plans to develop this area.
Glenn Earlam, Merlin Entertainments’ Managing Director Midway Attractions concluded: “This is a major investment for Merlin but one in which we have enormous confidence. Our creative colleagues in Merlin Magic Making have come up with some exceptional ideas for the new Ocean Adventure Park which cannot fail to please. While the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre concept is already successful in both Europe and the USA. More than that, our experience has shown that bringing together an exciting mix of retail, dining, and quality leisure attractions like these, creates a whole new element to a family day out, delivering significant incremental business to both the shopping centre, and to the area as a whole. We are therefore particularly delighted to be so closely associated with CentrO Mall which has all these elements, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners and landlords CentrO, with whom we have an excellent working relationship and whose support has been a critical factor in our decision to invest here. Such projects also play an important part in Merlin’s future growth strategy for our ‘midway’ or indoor City Centre attractions. ”
Work on the Ocean Adventure Park is already underway; and work is scheduled to begin on the new LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Summer 2012.
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